She was his
by Phylaphy
Summary: Sasuke back to Konoha, Naruto try to match him up with Sakura by going on a mission. Something happened during the mission, can they work things out between them, overcome the past, open the door for the blooming love between them? read and review please!
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

…_**A Mission…**_

She was his.

No matter how they deny it.

There's always this string that bound them, this thin, fragile string that connected them.

Sasuke just come back to Konoha, after giving his help and sentence his loyalty back to his home. Yes, the place she called "home" everytime she try to make him back. Now he live in this city, back to his life. As now Naruto become the Hokage and has Hinata beside him, he sentence his punishment as giving his now loyalty to Konoha, instead of his family. Being the only Uchiha left, Naruto understand the situation of his friend. He live in Uchiha compound, in his new position, Leader of ANBU.

His other goals, reviving his clan, Naruto tease him with those fan girls in Konoha, how he can choosa one of them? But he said the only love that was left in his heart now for his 'home' and friends. Once Naruto ask him about a certain pink-haired girl that since he come back has avoiding him in a very formal manners.

"Why don't you ask her to accompany you?" Naruto say after he ask him to choose another shinobi to accompany him an a mission.

"Her?"

"You know… Sakura-chan." For a split second his face look like he's thinking, but then back to his normal unemotionally face.

"I don't think she's gonna be fine doing mission with me."

"Why not?" Naruto grin. "I will call her and see if she's agree, or do you want to ask her yourself?" sasuke shaking his head.

"I will leave all to you. But I do think she's not gonna happy with your offer. Better find another shinobi."

"Fine, fine, but let's give it a try, okay?" he smirked. "by the way, would you come to my boy's party? Hinata and I gonna do it on park, where we can watch firework. Oh you must see, he likes fireworks a lot!"

"I believe he's as active as you are." He said solemnly.

"Of course! He will be the next hokage!" he grin widely, so proud of his baby-boy. Sasuke feel his mouth make a simple smirk when looking at how happy his best buddy is. And that pain struck him in the heart again, he doesn't as lucky as he is in love life. Yes, there's plenty of fan girls yelling for him but deep down in his heart, he can't feel anything at all that called 'love', the one that full of emotions, feelings, not the one he has for all his friends. He feel empty.

"So I guess I will back to compound…" when he turn to the door, someone just rushing in, yelling with it lungs out.

"NARUTO-BAKA!" the door cracked open, and there she was, after all the dust and the breaking-door left, standing with all the mighty, Haruno Sakura. Sensing that he's in a deep trouble, Naruto run with all power he has, but stupidly, he only has one already broken door so the only choice left is to rush to his window behind him.

"Err, Sakura-chan, I think…"

"DON'T YOU DARE TO THINK! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING, TRYING TO MATCH ME UP WITH THAT MAN…" her high-pitch voice hasn't change, she is still in his doctor jacket, obviously running from hospital here. Her bright pink hair shine in this light. Naruto, his face look like he's gonna die, finally take action.

"I think you will like him, Sakura-chan!" he said, dogding her powerful fist when he's running nowhere.

"YOU STUPID BAKA!"

"Oh come on, Sakura, I just…" he's looking everywhere and finally find a good place to hiding, and running there with Sakura chasing him around. And yes, that 'a good place to hiding' was right behind Sasuke.

"COME HERE! I WILL SEND YOU RIGHT TO THE RAMEN STAND!"

"I just want you to be happy, Sakura-chan!" he said, hiding his head so I wont get hit by her, only to find that she's stop running. He open his eyes and see what stop her. Sasuke Uchiha standing emotionlessly in front of her, hands folding in chest, staring blankly at her. And Sakura's eyes cant stop looking at those black orbs. Sense herself before drawn to those eyes, she spit her face, looking hateful yet unsure to the floor. Her fist become tight in both her side and she can feel her palm bleeding because her nails.

"I wont forgive you until you send that man away!" she said, looking back to Naruto. But to Sasuke, her words feels like it was for _him_.

"Okay, okay Sakura-chan, I promise. Now can we sit and having good talk, ne?"

"And don't you dare to interfere my love life again!" she said threatenly. _So she hasn't any boyfriend or fiancée yet? _Sasuke thought himself. _Why?_

"I-I just want you to be happy…" now he's stutter like his wife. Taking a deep sigh, Sakura take a breath and smile faintly at him.

"I'm happy, Naruto. Being the head of Konoha hospital is everything I can ask." Now sensing she's calm, Naruto grin and go near her.

"Alright, so now you're happy, I want you to do a mission."

"A mission? Oh finally! I have been doing nothing exciting this 3 months!"

"Would you go on a mission with him?" he pointed at Sasuke.

Pause. A long silence. Sakura's eyes moving from his fingers to the one beside him, that still standing like a statue, eyeing her. Sasuke can tell she's gulping from the news. And she really, never, think to wish to having a news like that.

"I…." her words cant come out. Something in her chest beating so fast that the beat deafing her.

"So? Would you?"

"…"

"Okay, I take it as a yes! I have handing the scroll to Sasuke, you may ask him further info, oh and Sakura, please come to my boy's shower this evening! I promise you will see spectacular fireworks tonight!" now even breathing feels so hard for her to take with him eyeing her like that. "oh, if you both don't have any partner to come, why don't you guys going together? Anyway, I have to go find Hina-chan, so, see you guys tonight!" that blonde Hokage run from his office, leaving the two of them alone in silence.

Sasuke move from his standing-statue form, his hand that still holding the paper handing it to her. she's hesitated before taking it from him, carefully not touch his hand. After quick skimming, knowing this mission gonna be only two of them, nothing in this world Sakura wish that moment other than missing in puff right here right now. Sasuke walk away from the office, not even bother to say anything to her, to his new partner in mission, and maybe, the partner to go to Naruto's shower today.

How can her heart still beating that fast for someone like _that_?

A wind of sadness blowing her mind and she's fighting her heart not to breaking again, at least not in front of him.

"I will meet you at 7." His words, deep, husky, like the last tim she remembered, echoing in her mind walls until she cant hear his steps anymore, she's failing to her knees. Defending her heart for so long, she cant give it up to him again, no, no.

But how can she's not falling again for him, for this mission take 1 months as a couple?

Haruno Sakura has strengthen herself, composure her body, taking deep breath, looking sure to the girl in front of her. that girl has a flawless face, medium high, bright gum pink hair bun high with sakura's petal ornament. She's wearing a pink kimono, the one with sakura's motif, and a smile in her face. She's ready to face the King of hell now.

Speak of the devil, Sasuke wearing long pants and white shirt with uchiha fan behind it. So plain, he wear his black leather jacket as outerwear. Uchiha didn't do much picking style, his word always black dark blue and if there's any, he only has a few white things in uchiha manor. Taking his sandals, he going out heading his cherry blossom ex-teammate. His mind wondering while he's walking.

Will this mission going to be alright with both of them? They cant deny that both still have the hurt, the guilty, the pain and a little care for exactly different things. As he still sense, Sakura still in the same feeling like he left years ago, she obviously still caring for him. But he, in the other hands, couldn't find much to care even himself. Sasuke rarely pay attention to his life now, as he already fulfil his revenge and life, yes, life with no purpose at all. How can they manage to keep professional when this mission ask the to act as a couple for several months?

How can two person, one with too much emotion and feeling while one has nothing can do things together?

Yielding himself from thinking about how he can manage to wake up next to her several months, he try to think how wonderful it is to life without any pressure or goals now. But then this life, no matter how light it look, feels empty to him. Like if he die, nobody will care, nobody will be there to fill the emptiness he feel…

Sasuke stop at a door at apartement. Surprisingly he still remember her address when Naruto mention that when he's eating ramen so noisy. He knock it several times then the door open, revealing the pink beauty. He try to concentrate to her eyes only, but then he find it impossible not to eyeing her from toe to top.

"Wait here a second, I will take my purse." Standing still in her door, he find it she still have a vengeance for him. She didn't let him come into her house or even called his name, with suffix. If she was forced, she will only refer him and "you" or "uchiha" or even so rarely, "sasuke". if he remembered, he hasn't call her name too this time after he's come home. He simply just approach her if he need to speak to her or handing her something.

Yes, they almost haven't talk much these days.

The wind of night touch his face, and sasuke fought the urgen to ask her to be quick, to give him something to think about instead of the sting of a little uncomfortable he feel now everytime he's thinking about her and the way he treated her. He just cant, uchiha cant have too many emotion like her. She just too much. He cant bear to stand beside her and listening, feeling, knowing that he has to share his life having more than one kind of emotion at a time. He can explode.

"Sorry make you wait." Finally she come out, he can see she's adding lipstick and the scent of strawberries in the cold air. She closed and lock her door, take the key to her little red purse and start walking. He just followed her, hands inside his pant's pocket, enjoying the view of her kimono behind her, her curves, her… delicious figure.

Sasuke still a man with needs, and now the hormones kick him, make him hard not to think so much about a pink haired beauty in front of him now.

"So," She stop and turn around, almost catching him eyeing her. "about the mission," she wait until he walk beside her and go walking again, side by side but still keep distance with him. "I have read about it,"

"Hn,"

"It tells that we have to… act as a couple." She fought the urge not to think too much. His scent lingering her air and walking beside him feels like swimming in his scent. So intoxinating. Even he didn't use perfume, but still, his manly scent filling her lungs and drive her mind to thinking about him. Him when she's fangirling him. Him the traitor. And him, the adult, a very handsome man, beside her now.

"Hn,"

"Are you sure you're gonna do that… with me?" she try to be confidence and not showing too much 'please sasuke just leave my life and never come back' tone to him but she know she was avail. She always fail to hide her true feelings that she still has some feelings, some caring feeling about him. She didn't dare to ask naruto how he's doing at compound, is he eat right or having nightmares, she asking the people around compound is the only uchiha looks tired or sick and feel relief everytime she heard naruto said he looks as cold as usual.

"Yes," he said, short. Nodded, she walk with her eyes staring at the ground. The street feel like cemetery with him beside her. so…. Cold. Emotionless. Avoid of any human's emotions. Feels like it has died long, long time ago. Sasuke she knew already died long time ago since he choose to go traitoring his home. Sasuke knows she has change too. He didn't see the reckelessness of her anymore. The fangirling, the spirit of youth, the shine she always have. Now Sakura that walk beside him looks tired of something, thinking too much, carefully, and so… insecure about something. Does she feel uncomfortably with him?

After a pregnant silence, they finally arrive to the baby's shower. Hinata and Naruto is holding their baby boy lovingly in their arm. Sakura quickly separate herself from Sasuke, enjoying conversation with Ino and Tenten, while Sasuke just plainly come to congratulate his buddy.

"Naruto," he called. The blonde hokage turn his head to him and grin widely.

"Sasuke-teme! You come! Where's Sakura-chan?"

"There, with her friends."

"Ooh, look at this man, isn't he looks so…." He think to find the exactly adjective to descripe the baby in his arms.

"He looks just like you."

"Yeah! That's is! Strong, handsome, smart like me! Yes, exactly like me!" he grin again, then holding that baby to Hinata beside her. "hey, I wanna talk with you," he said, pointing Sasuke to follow him. They stop at the drink bar and take a glass.

"The mission you're assign for must go earlier."

"Why?"

"You guys have to find the scroll the enemy has stolen, it is important before the elders known that scroll is missing. You know I don't like having things with Tsunade baa-chan." The elders now already being switch. Tsunade and some old wise people become the elders, so much better than the old elders. Sasuke almost laugh, even after he become the Hokage, Naruto still afraid getting hit by tsunade's powerful fist.

"Fine. When are we going?"

"Tomorrow. As soon as you can." Sasuke's eyes widened. Today he just meet again woth the pink haired kunoichi, now tomorrow he will departing with her, as a couple for 1 months later? "nah, you can tell sakura, cant you? I have to back to my son." He smile widely, finishing his sake then go off the crowd. Sasuke take his drink, thinking. How he supposed to tell her? today's conversation has signaling how their conversation would be along the mission. How can people believe that they're a couple? Their awkwardness will make this mission failed.

Sasuke take a seat far from the crowded, open the scroll and read it carefully. The rute, the mission, the enemies, he has to mastering it now.

"So I hear you are with Haruno now." He didn't have to look up to see whose voice in the branches.

"Not exactly like the news." Sasuke replied.

"Hn," that voice now beside him. The shadow nin look into the scroll. "a mission, eh?"

"Yes,"

"And I guess, two, with Haruno?"

"…yes."

"Well then, the news is right," he said lazily, leaning to the tree.

"I never think you will be someone that listen to those news, Nara."

"I'm not, but my…_ fiancée_ is talking about it everytime." Sasuke know the words wife referring to the blonde loud kunoichi, the woman version of naruto. "How's life, uchiha?" he knows he's talking about the ANBU he's leading. Shikamaru Nara has been the brain of Konoha, he works in Hokage's office. He didn't do ANBU's but he like to know what happen to his country so he can plan something in case a quick attack come.

"Never been this good. I have speak to Neji to fill my position as I go,"

"You aware that Tenten is pregnant 3 months, don't you?"

"I still give him time to think. If he himself think it's way too dangerous, Lee is ready to take the position."

"Glad to know he finally get promotion." Shikamaru smirk himself, thinking the youth green spandex will lead ANBU. "so what's the mission?"

"Finding stolen scroll… get it back here."

"Not really hard for both of you. Honestly, when I hear the two of you gone for a mission, I expect at least S-rank mission." He hardly pointed the word A-rank in the paper Sasuke's read.

"I'm not partnering with her in purpose. Dobe just pick her randomly when I assign this mission."

"Oh." Is the only thing Nara say. Actually he has his own conclusion, that Naruto is **purposedly** asking Sakura to join this because Sasuke is in it. Afterall, the two of them is too good to be pass. Shikamaru himself want to know the end of the tale of Sakura and Sasuke. If they really gonna be a couple, they surely will make the powerful one in this country. Sakura is the best medic nin and Sasuke has the amount of the sanin, and that's enough for them to start a new uchiha line. Wait, doesn't he has the goal to reviving his clan? it feels wrong if he himself say he doesn't do this purposedly.

"Hey Sasuke?"

"Hmm?" Sasuke hardly take his gaze from the paper.

"What about you other goal?"

"…" he take a minute to think about is then decide he's not in the mood to have chit-chat about him become the one who hasn't any wife yet when he's the one talking about reviving his clan ealier than anyone that ironically, has a soulmate now.

"I don't have any intention of doing that with Sakura, if that's really your point."

"Maybe you can consider it. The two of you potentially become the next Sannins."

"…"

"Anyway, I have to go. Looks like Ino has drunk. Take care yourself, Uchiha." He walk away mumbling troublesome toward Ino, leaving the only Uchiha deep in his thoughts.

He has been thinking about that lately, that Naruto doing this on purpose to match them. Hasn't he find this morning that Sakura smack him down because trying to match her with someone. Is that Dobe really thinking he and Sakura will make a good companion, looking on history they have? More than once in the past they meet and have intention to kill each other. The pain, the tears, the hate. How can that Dobe think he and Sakura has a chance? They are too broken to be fix. To think that they can be a good friends and talking normaly is already too good to be true. Because the truth is, they are far from normal when it's come to any relationship they share.

But he cant say that he hasn't thinking of that chance, of that almost impossible chance. To think he can have someone to bear his children and fulfil the hollow in his heart. To find someone who's breath will he's breathing with. To find someone to love him, rationally and to the irrationally, infitive…

To find somebody that could make him learn love…

"Sasuke-kun…" he was taken aback by that voice and by the words that voice echoing. As he think the figure of little Sakura smile widely at him ravaging his mind and when he's aware, the adult version of figure now standing in front of him, kneeling.

"Sasuke-kun…" again, she whispered his name in suffix she love to add in the past. As she grew closer, he can smell the alcohol.

She is drunk.

That's the only way she will call him in that manner. Sighing, Sasuke sit still, eyeing her figure. Her green eyes now heavy, clouded and hazily, like she's going to sleep in any minute. Her cheeks coloured rosy, and she let a little hiccup. Her lips… wet from the alcohol. She darted her tongue to weep the left alcohol in her lips, then he feel it. He's getting hard because the action. She's teasing him, she aware or not. And he doesn't know how long he's gonna last since their sexual tension high because today is just too much for them.

Sasuke pick a calmy breath, try not to focus on the sight before his eyes. He remember when he's at team hebi, he doesn't think too much of the needs because he's too focus on the goal to gain power and kill Itachi. But now he's living a brand new life without any goal and the needs obviously even harder to control, when he has this pink haired beauty near him. Suddenly, all the hopes seems gonna come true whenever he's with her. She has something within her that make him feel alive, something that make him feel that hope will always be there. Something so wonderful…

And she is beautiful, no question.

The crowd that far from them feels like a slow motion. They didn't move an inch. She sat still in cute position, don't mind the ruffle in her kimono has slid down to her shoulders, giving the skin too much to feel the cold air and when she sat with her hand in front of her, the kimono showing her creamy thight.

He really need to go now.

But then something hit him. What makes her going here? It's far enough from the crowd, from the food and drink, and surely nobody is care to see this dark side of the party. This dark, lonely, silent side. But still, she find him here and choose to stay here. She's drunk, he remind his mind again, not to think too much of the hopes of any chance between them.

"Hiccup!" her voice, her little high-pitch voice. She closed her mouth with her little hand whenever she's hiccupping, her face red because of the drunk. But nothing can make her more breathtaking than the dim of moonshine that shine through the tree he's leaning to her exactly in front of him. So beautiful. She's staring at him, her eyes not easy to read. There's a point of sad, of anger, of disappointment, but then something caught him offguard. Of something smooth, right through his mind, to his soul. Something that comfort him to those emerald pool.

His hands sensing the paper and he gazing his eyes back to paper, focusing on the mission. He can feel she's moving, closer to him.

"Sasuke-kun…" she's stop exactly in front of him. He can see her cleavage down here, and cant take his eyes from it. Her smooth, middle pink hair fall to his forehead and her scent intoxinating him. Want it or not, he's looking up and find her face just an inch away from him. She's going to kiss him.

He cant let this happen. He cant let himself taking, or feeling, any advantage from a drunken girl, especially the one who will go on a mission long enough with him as his wife. Focusing on trying to find rational mind, his hand stopping her face from coming closer to him. Kami, her face so smooth agains his palm. She's keep staring at him even he's stopping her. her little hands come up and resting to his chest, feeling the abs there. Her head move again, he loose his grip on the smooth face, she's resting her head to his chest.

She let her body relax and just sleeping there, head in his chest and her body between his spreading legs. Her breath is tingling in his ears. She let the 'purr' voice come from her sweet lips, working on her dreams in his chest. Sasuke let the paper fall from his hands when his hands insticvely, rest in her body, first to her shoulders, then without thinking, feel the curve of her waist. Maybe he's fall asleep while talking to Shikamaru. Or maybe he hasn't wake up when he's go home this morning and already late to meet Sakura. Or maybe today just another dream that he keep dreaming of how it feels to having someone to intimately warm near you. Because the answer just sleeping with her beautiful head filling the hollow in his chest.

The fireworkd just come in the sky, and Sasuke's hand slowly touching her hair, gently stroke the pink strands. Her scent now drunken him. Her presence, it feel more intense than ever in his life. Tomorrow, will something change between them? The answer is still far between, he think. He still believe if not because of the drunk, she wont let herself fall into him like this. But why him, of all the people? Why she run into him? When you are not aware, you unconscious mind driving you to the deepest thing in your head, that's what he hear about people drunk.

_Is he is the deepest thing is her heart?_

"Sakura," he called her with the gentleness he never know he possessed. "let's go home now." Not moving any inch, he take intiative of more, let his instinct take ove him. He take her bridal style, going from the party to her home. He insticvely take the dark route, the one without much people will agape to see the two people who can't be together now this close. He stop in front of her door, sit her leaning the wall and open her purse, looking for the key. Once he find it, he take her again and open the door, straight to her bedroom.

He put her sleeping form in her bed, taking her blanket so she wont feel the cold air in ther exposed skin. He didn't know he can be so gentle with opposite sex. He usually carelees with woman. They are loud, stubborn, cry baby, clinging and annoy him. He's going to out when a frame photo caught his attention. The old photo of team 7. Yes, friend. Teammate. That's all why she come to him tonight. Because Naruto is busy with Hinata maybe she need to find someone from her comrade that will understand her drunk. And so she found him.

Sasuke smile bitterly, go out from her bedroom, from her home, and maybe, from her life. A pain stinging in his chest, that's how he learn the bitterness of disappointment. He goes back to coumpound and rest himself, closing his eyes, his sense to the world. He doesn't even want to think what tomorrow will bring.

_**Author's note**_

_**Review please? I ask more than 10 reviews to post chapter two**_


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

…_**The beginning…**_

Sakura open her eyes, her head spinning like it want to free from her body. She's yawning, stretching herself and back to slumber. The weker near her ringing, she let her hand turn the alarm off. It's already morning. Ah, she must be drinking too much last nigh, so her head feel as if it's going to fell off. She open her eyes again, wake up and searching for painkiller in her desk beside her bed. After find it, she swallow the pill and take a glass of water on the desk. She's sighing, this pain will heal at least for one hour from now.

Sakura blink her eyes to the sunshine. The clouds. Ah, the fireworks last night was amazing. Naruto really done a very good work for his baby boy and Hinata. She smile herself. A noisy, long chit chat with her friends, Tenten dare her to drink with Ino, Ino fell of because drunk and Shikamaru come from nowhere to take her home. The last thing she remembered is Shikamaru said that Sasuke sitting near the tree alone. Then everything blur to her. was she fell off too? Is Naruto that bringing her back to her apartement? Yes, must be him.

She smile and gonna thank Naruto this morning in her way to Hospital, she will passed the Hokage office and greet him for his always nice behavior toward her. Sakura walking to her bathroom and taking a bath. When she rip off her kimono, she smell a foreign smell. A scent of someone…

Sasuke.

Her eyes widened. Her hears beating so fast that it feels she ahsnt take any breath. She cant be wrong. This is his scent. This deep wide smell like ocean scent belongs to him. What does his scent do with her? is she that close with him when she's walking with him to the party that his scent still lingering on her? she didn't mind it too much, after taking all the clothes left to the laundry, she walk to she shower. When she's going to turn in on, the scent lingering her again. Confused, she's sensing the smell around her. Confusing, she touch her chin to think, and then it become stronger. Then she realized. The scent, his scent, is all over her body. She cant smell the scent of Naruto or anyone else. Only her and him.

_Sasuke is the one who bringing her home last night._

He was walking down the hall on uchiha manor, when he saw her waiting for him in the gate. Sakura quickly gain her composure when he's walking to her.

"Ohayou," she said, insitcvely her smile grew in her face. He feel like he's facing his old teammate again, the one who always have smile plastered in her pretty face. The old feeling come to his heart, on how he actually comfort in team 7.

"Hn," was all he replied. He's standing in front of her, waiting for the reason why she's coming to this abadone place, greeting him with that smile?

"I…ah, thank you for last night." She smile sincerely to him.

"Hn,"

"Er… can I ask you a question?" he nodded. "how can you find me on the crowd and why you bringing me home?"

"It's more than one question." He said. Sakura embarrassed.

"J-just answer, please."

"You come to me. And sleep on my chest." He said while walking.

"W-what? Hey, wait!" she's walking beside him. "how can I become the one who come to you? All I can remember is Ino get drunk and fell off and Shikamaru come to rescue her and…" she think of the last word she can remember from last night, 'Sasuke's there.' By Shikamaru, pointing to that tree. And everything went blur. She took her chin in her hand while walking beside him. Is it possible she is, drunk, going there and approach him? She stole a glare at him. At his stoic face. So emotionless. She can feel her heart trying to find the missing piece. Is he really that care to bringing her home? And he said she's sleeping in his chest. How come he let that kind of thing happen?

Deep down inside her heart, she had to admit he's growing handsome day by day. Since the day he sentence his loyalty to Konoha, she give hopes too high that they can be friends, that she can talk to him like they used to. But then he become more passive more than he used to. All day he only walk from Uchiha compound to Hokage's office, doing his ANBU's work, or going to forest to train alone. If he hungry he only going to ramen with Naruto or doing his eating alone by buying some things to eat from market. Yes, Sakura is watching him intensely. No point to say she's not interesting in his business. Since she also ANBU's squad below his leadership, she know the pressure, the duty, the dangerous he face. And deep down inside, she wished he can share some of the pressure to her, so he don't have to face it all alone.

She wants him to know she still there to give him any help he need. Even he's too strong for his own good and a very little chance he will need her help. Again, why she care that much for him? Even after what happen? Even if she admit that she still have that kind of feeling toward him, the series of events has happened between them and it's not that easy to forget it. As hard as it's not easy to forget those feeling she once, and forever, has for him.

She was his, and no one else's. She know that from the very start.

"Where are you going?" she finally aware that he's not going to Hokage office nor forest. Market?

"Neji's." he said blantanly, walking to Hyuuga district.

"Why?" she said, following him.

"Don't you go to work?" he ask without looking to her.

"I take a day off, the pain in my head kills me. What business you have with him?"

"None of yours." Pouting, Sakura still following him.

"I'm going too. To see Tenten."

"…" what the hell with this girl? Yesterday she's ignoring him, avoiding him, and now she's clinging to him like some fan girl. Is the drunk affect her until now? Is she aware that now Konoha looking at them, curiously? He didn't mind those gossip and rumors about them, even if it's true, he doesn't thing feeling between them will make anything easier or change the things used to be.

Someday, he will realized that he's wrong.

He knock the door, the door opened, and a pregnant woman smile at them.

"Look what a lucky thing I found here!" she smile, welcoming them to her houe. "what makes you guys come here?"

"I need to talk with Neji." Sasuke said.

"Oh, he's at the office. The second door from right."

"I just wanted to see you. Oh Ten, we just ran into each other in the street, don't give me that look." Sakura said. Sasuke walk leaving them doing their own conversation to the door Tenten give him direction to. He opened it and find Neji look up to him from his desk. He sigh and take something from his desk, handing it to Sasuke. An envelope.

"Sorry, Sasuke, I cant." he said, his look in the eyes show that he is really sorry, not only formality.

"I understand. I will give it to Lee."

"He want. I have told him yesterday and he's very happy."

"Hm, maybe I cant give it to him, I have to go, the mission will be earlier."

"Today?" sasuke nodded.

"Please give this to him. Send him a thank you from me. Get a grip on the squads, Hyuuga." He said, giving him a warm look. To be honest, Neji didn't like him very much in their old days. Especially when he prove it by become a traitor. But when he help Konoha in the war and sentence his loyalty, he started to trust him. He passed some test and become the captain of ANBU, become the one of Hokage's best buddies and the potential next legendary Sannin. He like him now, Neji like the way he lead his squad, his cold demeanor and his strategy that equal to Shikamaru.

He has heard of the rumor that he's going on a mission along with the pink haired beauty, the best medic nin that also the head of Konoha hospital. He knows this must be something that Naruto try to match them. He didn't blame him tough, the two of them actually match for each other. And together, they are invincible. To think that the two of the has the great potential of making a heir to continuing the great Uchiha line, he smirk to himself. The tale of Sasuke and Sakura will be told someday to his soon to be born daughter.

"Take care, Uchiha." Neji said, give him the look. He nodded and excuses. Sasuke closed the door and go back to the room where Sakura and Tenten is laughing at something very funny. He choose to excuses as soon as possible and get his thing done and go on before the afternoon, then going to Sakura and get himself ready for her to rambly why he didn't tell her earlier.

"Tenten, I'm going." Tenten wake from her position and open the door.

"Me too. It's good to see you." Sakura hug her and she's smiling too easy to read for both of them. Sasuke walk away and Sakura keep following him. Decide that it's enough, he turn to meet her.

"We're going today."

"Eh? To where?"

"The mission."

"But it says next week…"

"Naruto told me it's get earlier."

"Why…"

"I will meet you in the gate at 10." With that, he left her without even look back to see disappointment in her face, looking his back walking away from her, awaking the same sharp pain that gone through her heart the night he left her.

And the scar isn't removed yet. How can she feel her heart broken when it wasn't even whole to start with?

She wait patiently at the gate, talking and laughing with Genma. Sakura know he has feeling for her but she only think he is as a brother, as a friends that she like to be with while she need someone to make her laugh. Genma is handsome, he has his own persone, and behind his cold behavior toward girls, he's very humorous. She was in the middle of joking about how Tsunade gey drunk in front of Suna council and make fun of Gaara when Sasuke come and didn't say a thing.

"Woops, time to go, Genma. See you later!"

"Take care, Sakura, Sasuke!" he wave to her as they walk away from the gate. He didn't say anything, he still find it hard to communicate more than a short sentence to people. He like the peace, the short, and hate complicated things… like emotion. The sun shine through the branch and leaves, showering them with it shine. She sang a song with her little voice, while he just silence as if he didn't have anything to talk to.

Boring, she try to make a conversation with him.

"Our first rest will be in the little district a day from here," she said but it feels like a statement and right, he didn't reply anything. "what do you think about the mission?"

"Nothing."

"Dangerous? Hm… boring?"

"…"

"I wish I could see Naruto and Hinata before we left. Their part last night was amazing. Don't you think so?"

"Hn," knowing that it's useless to make him go on a conversation with her, she goes silence. It's uncomfort to walking with someone has so many history with you. All the adective of feeling they have feels. It just too much. She swep her tears and sigh, following behind hind so he cant see her tears.

Wrong, he can. He can feel her tension, her frustasion of talking, of walking with him. Her mixture feeling of everything that has happened between them. He know that. He can feel it. But he cant do anything about it. He cant tell her not to think too much about them, about him, as useless as telling himself not to think too much of her. he feel this irony, once he can feel something about opppsite attract. He cant have it. He cant have her. he cant ravish her in his mind.

They doing their path just as silence, until Sakura stop.

"I'm tired, can we stop?" it's just been 3 hours of walking, he said. But then he realized she's not tired of walking, she's tired of the tension, of the frustration between them. How can they manage to going through all of this for the next 1 months? Walking 3 hours with him already feels like waiting for him to come back 3 years. So close, but yet so far.

He stand a little far from her, who sit on the big rock. He watching her, her panting, how her breath come up and down, how her breast moving along with her breath… somehow he felt so wrong to take this kind of mission wth this kind of girl who drive him mad with this kind of situation. Is it too late to canceled it? He can go by himself to take the scroll, and if she's embarrassed to get known by the village that she back up, he will let her follow him but not doing anyting that can consider distract him.

Like… panting like that.

Sasuke start to think maybe leave her in the next land, will be a very good choice since no matter what she does, she is a distraction for him. Even her breath. How can him tell her not to breath so… erotic?

She opene her water bottle and drink. Feeling that the thought drain away like the thirst drain away with the water, she's ready to go. She handing him the bottle.

"Do you want some?" hesitating, but remembering he didn't bring any, he accept it. His hand brush slighty to her hand when she hand it. But much to his dismay, she didn't show too much shock or red face at that action. It really show that she doesn't have feeling for him at all. And a pang of disappoiment come to his heart again. The hollow was opened again.

"Let's go." He said, handing her the bottle but she's shaking her head.

"For you." He noded without any graceful feeling and continuing their journey in silence.

They finally arrive at the small town at night, searching for the right hotel, they check in as a couple. The young receipsionist look at them in agape. She's a woman an certainly have a crush at the first sight at the captain of ANBU squad. She obciously jealous of Sakura, whom she had to admit, so beautiful and match to be his wife.

"Looks like she likes you," Sakura said after Sasuke locked their room. "she really got into you. Look how cheap we can take this room." Sasuke choose not to answer and open the veranda to the small districk. The smell of food come tickling Sakura's nose and to her embarrassed, she feel her tummy tighten. She's starving.

"Let's find something to eat." He said. She's shock, _has he heard any embarrassing sund from my tummy?_

They walking dow the street, Sakura enjoying the view of the crowd. She didn't really like to be alone in a big places. Sasuke walk beside her, staring blankly, looking for market or stand of anything he can eat.

"Look, there's a stand of bento," she said, pointing to the left. He just following her. she's going here and there, stopping here and there, and feel like rag doll to be drag here and there, he just following here. After eating, she's already missing again in the crowd. He just waiting patiently in the park bench. He then remember. Bench. Looks the same like he left he years ago. Does she still remember that?

"Sasuke! Look!" she said from afar, waving her hands, a small fireworks. What now, she become fireworks lovers like Naruto and his family now, after she watch those fireworks at party? She hels two firework stick in her both hands and running to him in the crowd. But then as clumsy as she was in the childhood, she trapped and fell. Sasuke shock when she feel her face first. He didn't think 17 years old Sakura still can fell like that?

He approach her to prevent the crowd step her. she wake up and hold back her tears. She still the same Sakura. The clumsy, cry baby one. He feel relief to know that. Kneeling in front of her, he take a look at her now dirty clothes and face, and tears that threatening to falling down. The fireworks of course had died because touch the ground.

"Why you running like that?"

"I want to give the fireworks to you…." She said, biting her lips and touch the wound in her hands. Her green chakra flowing and the wound healed.

"Why?"

"Because the fireworkd party make me close to you again after these times." She try to smile but fail, she bit her lips again, feeling her knee's bleeding.

Sasuke feel the old feeling in his heart. A little girl, with wind floating her bright bubble gum pin hair, chasing him, annoy him. But she always smile beside him, and somhow it makes him want to smile too.

She's going to heal her knee's wound when he take her hand;

"Can you walk?"

"Eh? Well, maybe not, I have these wounds… kyaaa!" he give her a piggy back ride without telling anything to her first. "Sasuke!" she said, trapped between heart racing and happiness and hurt from the wounds, and shock.

"You said you cant walk," he take her to their hotel.

"B-but I can heal these wounds. If you want to wait…"

"I don't want to wait." She feel her face become red. Looking at his hair, his back like this, make her want to say the thing she had longed for so long, the same sentence she tells him years ago; 'don't go.' But instead of talking, she let herself relax and slowly, her heart take over her brain. She let her hands snake to his shoulders, to his neck and resting that. She hugged him from behind piggy back ride.

And he allowed that.

Sakura know nothing can make her happier now than to be his side even just for a couple hours. She's sleeping while smiling until he drop her to the bed. The bed is made for two, so they have to sleep together. He take a look at her dirty face and decide to washed it with warm water. He doesn't know what make him doing this. Maybe because he doesn't want the dirty to his bed, or because… he want her to be clean, and beautiful, like she always.

Once he touch her cheek gently with the towel, she opened her eyes.

Her jade emerald eyes labour in his dark orbs. He's the one composing his gesture first, he handed her the towel and say;

"Clean youself. I'm on the bathroom." He said, leaving her. Sakura cant feel anything instead of something glowing in her heart. Is she falling for the dark haired shinobi again? No… she's not ready. She's not ready to love someone more than anything is this world again.

She wake up when the sun shining trough the windows. She quickly turn her head to find nothing beside her. then she wake and walk to the couch to see if he sleep there, and there's no trace that Uchiha Sasuke ever sleep in this room. Sighing, conclusing that he may already having breakfast somewhere in this district make her feel like old days. She hope her Sasuke will give her attention she want and make her feel like those Princess in the movie. But then reality stuck. Uchiha Sasuke is Uchiha Sasuke. He's no prince, no white horse, no feeling and hope at all.

She's turn herself to the other side to wake from the bed when something catch her eyes almost catch her breath. Sasuke is sleeping in the floor, just with a think sheet as the sheet for him laying without anything as the pillow. Quickly, she jump to him, her face grow closer to him. Sensing someone watching him, Sasuke open his eyes and facing the pink haired beauty an inch away from him. He didn't flinch, he even didn't make any attempt. He just open his eyes, controlling his mind. _What time is it? Am I late to wake? And WHY THE HELL THIS GIRL SO CLOSE TO ME?_

He open his eyes. Staring blankly at her. Sakura hold her breath, looking straight to those black orbs.

_**Say it. Ask why he sleep here. What are you doing? You just staring at him! **_

_His eyes captivating me. _

_**See, you are falling for him all over again! Oh come on, get a grip Sakura! You are not a teenage girl falling for some boy. You a a grown up woman, with duty, and you are not falling for 'some boy' this is UCHIHA SASUKE we're talking!**_

_Oh, shut up, inner. I don't care who his name is. Uchiha Sasuke if have a name Uzumaki Naruto, if It was him, I will still love him no matter what._

_**What?**_

_What? Eh, what did I just say?_

_**YOU SAID YOU LOVE HIM!**_

Sakura pulled back from him, regain her consciousness again. Breathing heavily, she stand up and running to the bathroom. Sasuke wake from his position, his body ache for sleeping in floor. But how can he ask? He didn't dare to sleep next to her in bed. When he's sleeping in couch, she come in her sleeping state and sleep in his chest. How can a man stand in such a state? When he sleep at the floor, she didn't following.

Now he open his eyes and she's already staring at him, and then run away like that. Is she still sleeping or what?

After the silence ecounter this morning, the two of them eat in silence. Sasuke is the quiet type, but Sakura silent because she's afraid to talk. After the confession she make in her heart her inner heart didn't stop to make her think twice, about what she feel to the dark haired shinoby. He and Uchiha. Furthermore, he is Uchiha Sasuke. The one she's crying for those damn night and she even try to kill some years ago. Not to mention he want to kill her too that time.

Sasuke, not knowing anything about that, shocking her this morning by make the first converstation between them.

"How's the wound?" she firgot to heal it last night. Too happy that he handed her the towel to washed herself, she was giggling entire night and already fall asleep when he go out from the bathroom. Not surprise when she's taking a bath this morning, she's cringe of the sensation.

"Better," she said shortly. He finished first and patiently wait for her. "sasuke?" she look at him who sit across her.

"Hn,"

"Why you sleep on the floor?"

"You keep coming on me when I sleep on the couch." Her face become redder than ever. So her sleeping walker habits had gotten into mission. Why? After all this time without that habits, why it has to come again, when she's with him?

"What… am i… doing?"

"You come and sleep near me."

"S-sorry…"

"Hn," she didn't have any hunger for food anymore. Why her body react like this near him? Why she feels like she need to find the warm source from him, to sleep next to him, to touch him?

"W-why don't you sleep next to me?" she asked blushing. He look straight at her. feeling uncomfortably, she's gazing the floor.

"You really want me to do that?"

"Eh?" that what? Her mind alredy wandering to the tought of having him in bed, of his hands roaming her body… she shook her head with red face.

"You are too easy to read." He said coldly, wake up from his chair and motion her to go. She's following him to the gate of the district and once again meet the forest. Along the walk, they didn't do much talk. She actually worried for him to have a sleep like that. She know well that sleep in the floor is so much worse that sleep in the tent.

"You really are okay?" she asked.

"Hn?"

"Sleeping on the floor like that… your body surely sore now."

"…" _Yes._

"What about taking a nap here and we can keep going in the night?" walking along the night is doubling the risk, little girl. He said in his mind. But yes, his body sore and his eyes need a little rest.

"30 minutes." He said.

"No! one hour at least."

"Fine, one hour." He make the tent and quickly sleep in deep slumber, she's watching him. Wanting to get close to him, she come to his tent and sit next to him. Her eyes fixated to him. His dark haired that fell slightly to the pillow, to his hard face. The one that has no expression. She's right. Sasuke is growing handsome day by day. Consuming his features and silently dawing his image in her mentally notes, sakura cant hel but feeling sleepy, she let herself fall nex to him. Beside him, she feel like she's not afraid of anything, that she finally can get rid of all the nightmares. The next thing she know when she opened her eyes is he's hugging her in his sleep.

Her face burning.

Her body burning.

He may mistaken her as his pillow, he nuzzling to her neck and breath there.

"Sa…suke…" she said between his hand that push her closer to him. "let…go…" he didn't say or doing anything. He really is tired. Stop struggling, she watch the face an inch away from her. the perfect pale face. Slowly, her hands come up to touch his face but then something happen. His breath heavily, his brows knotted, he's expression… he's hurt. He's in pain. He's afraid of something. Is he having a nightmare?

"No…" his lips trembling. "don't…" his grip in her locks tightened. "…itachi…" now Sakura now what kind of dream he has.

"Sasuke, wake up." She said. His eyes shutting so tight, as if afraid of the darkness there. "I'm here, it's only nightmare." She said again, worry about him. Her hands finally cup his. "sasuke…" he's shaking. The sweat now flooding his perfect face, he soothe him by brushing he thumbs lighly to his cheek so he can back to reality. Not wanting him to be attacked in his dream, Sakura take another level of boldness. She hug him by his neck.

"Sssshh… it's only nightmare. " She shoote him behing his back. Little she know, the time she hug him, the time he open his eyes with raged breath, uneven heart beat. "you will go through this..." She said again, not knowing he's aware of every words she's saying. "you are not alone. You can share your burden with me…" it's more like she's taking advantage by saying her heart out, knowing he's sleep. But didn't she knows, he listen carefully to her every word. "sasuke.." she loose her hug to see his sleeping face again, but she just meet dark orbs.

Sasuke Uchiha is awake.

And that means Haruno Sakura better run to save her face. He watch her emerald orbs widened and she's struggling to wake up but he didn't give he any attempt.

"Let me go, Uchiha!" she shout, her face redder than before, she face the other side, not wanting to face him. As if he didn't hear anything, he switch hovering her, he pushed her closer until she can feel his breath in her ear. Shutting her eys tight, she feel he turn her head to face him. "open you eyes, Sakura." Sakura shaking her head. His smell, his voice, his breath, his presence, his existence, never been this intense in her whole life.

"I'm so embarrassed! Forget all I said!" she said still struggling. "Let me go, Sasuke!"

"No suffix?" her eyes plopped open.

"What do think? You want me to add it? Let me go now!" she tried her hard to get out from his iron grip. "You are crazy stupid arrogant bas…" he stole her words, her breath, her power, her chakra and possibily her soul when he kiss her lips.

"…you are talking too much." He said teasingly, looking to those widened in shock emerald orbs. Without giving her time to processing what happen, he kiss her again, more hungrily this time, more demanding. She cant do anything and her body react itself. She found her hands snaking around his neck just like before. But now it feels better. He bit her lower lips, shocking her and make her gasped as he shoved his tngoue inside her. She never done this before. Doing such a thing in the most intimte way she can with the man she's dangerously falling for.

His hand found it peace at her curved but he feel more hunger and they running the side of her body. One of them accidentally brushed her left breast. She's gasped and he take advantage on doing open mouth kissed with her. don't know what to do or even what to think, Sakura just following his lips's movement and going rhytem with him.

_**What are you doing? He's taking advantage from you!**_

_I don't know what am I doing…_

All she can feel is his body, his intense warm, his… him, only him. Her world spinning like she's drink too much but then she realize she is drink too much. Drink too much his scent. His saliva. His presence in her life. No, she has to stop this. But deep inside she does weant this to stop. Meanwhile, Sasuke aware what he's doing right now. A millisecond ago, that kiss is just a hormonal thing. He didn't mean to kiss her this deep. He didn't ever think to do this kind of thing with her. _This is a mistake._ Sasuke break the kiss, he pulled out and wake up, leaving her all hot in his tent, red face, and tears gliding her eyes.

He just left her again, like he always do. She supposed to know this better.

He walk deep to the forest, to where he left Sakura cries in his tent, a foreign feeling escape his breath. He feels wrong. So wrong. Why it have to be this hard? Why she always… always drive him to do something not him at all? To feel like she's the missing piece, to feel all this emotion, to feel that slowly, he becoming someone else… he's not the stoic Uchiha who closed his heart to everyone at all. He opened his heart, allowing her to get near to him, allowing himself to care of her.

He has to make clear of his mind that this is a mission. Something he coudnt break just because some wild hormonal kick him. And he has to keep remind himself that his partner is Haruno Sakura. Someone he has history with. Someone he has to treat like a human, not like other girls he know. He can lose her in this mission. Her entirely. And he wouldn't do that. He has to keep his limit. He cant loose control of it again. He sighed. Maybe it's time to move on again.

He going back to tent, Sakura is already sit outside it, she's arranging her belongings. He unpack his tent, having no intention to talk to her of what happen. She didn't look at him, tough, she's busying herself with her thing. She already washed er face and there's no trace pf what happened earlier inside the tent in her face. She's as stoic as him. Finished pack his tent, he's standing and motion her to going again.

She just following him without looking into his eyes or even look at him. She didn't dare to think about anything except the feel when she's healing someone. When she's doing her medic things. Her job make me sane. He job is the only grip she has. With him, she can starve herslf to death. She cant control her mind. With him, she can jump from the Hokage tower. With him, she can be so fool to chasing him and waiting for something she know nobody can change.

The walk in silence as the sun going fall and moon come to the sky.

Their connection, partnership, or whatever relationship they share, now in critical condition.

_The best thing about tonight's that we're not fighting  
>Could it be that we have been this way before<br>I know you don't think that I am trying  
>I know you're wearing thin down to the core<em>

_But hold your breathe  
>Because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you<br>Over again  
>Don't make me change my mind<br>Or I wont live to see another day  
>I swear it's true<br>Because a girl like you is impossible to find  
>Your impossible to find<em>

_This is not what I intended  
>I always swore to you i'd never fall apart<br>You always thought that I was stronger  
>I may of failed<br>But I have loved you from the start  
>Ohhhh<em>

_But hold your breathe  
>Because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you<br>Over again  
>Don't make me change my mind<br>Or I wont live to see another day  
>I swear it's true<br>Because a girl like you is impossible to find  
>It's impossible<em>

_So breathe in so deep  
>Breathe me in<br>I'm yours to keep  
>And hold onto your words<br>Cuz talk is cheap  
>And remember me tonight<br>When your asleep_

_Because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you  
>Over again<br>Don't make me change my mind  
>Or I wont live to see another day<br>I swear it's true  
>Because a girl like you is impossible to find<br>Tonight will be the night that I will fall for you  
>Over again<br>Don't make me change my mind  
>Or I wont live to see another day<br>I swear it's true  
>Because a girl like you is impossible to find<br>Your impossible to find_


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

…_**The confusion…**_

They stop at abandone village, in the very morning. They have been doing night journey as Sakura has falling asleep some times and fell that she's gonna fall. That village obvioysly have been left out for more than a year. They cant find any food or drink there, so Sasuke just walking out to the gate.

"Wait!" she said. He stop but didn't turn around. "cant we stay for an hour here?"

"There's nothing to eat."

"I know, but cant we find empty house and sleep there?"

"We almost arrived. We have to keep moving." She didn't argue with him. She shallow all the complain to the rock in her throat. Why in the first place she agree to go on a misson with him? She shallow the word 'tired' that flying in her mind some hours lately. She walk slowly following him in some distance. The sun is now flying above them, Sakura's chakra almost dried of exhausted. Feel this is enough, she stop and take a rest there, don't care if the Uchiha left her alone.

Sasuke can feel her chakra dried, and slowly he lost her presence. He turn around and face nobody there. She must be stop in the path and don't bothered to tell him. Is she that afraid to comit an argue with him? But then again, he also not the type to talk. So the argue between them is the cold war. Yes, the one like this. He's going back to his path and finding her sleeping with her head lay in her hands on a big stone.

He think for minutes, will he awaking her or just let it be. And he knows she can sense his chakra and still sleep there. If this is not the way she tell she's tired, then this is how she start a cold war with him. Not wanting to make these days getting worse, he choose to give her the peace and sit himself a little far from her. he's eyeing her face, her oh-so-peaceful dream face. She's dreaming now, she didn't think anything of him or the mission anymore. She's dreaming that she's in the hospital, busy to save people, then walk to cafeteria to find her lunch. Sakura didn't know when she's dreaming of eating, her tummy give a funny voice. Sasuke know she's hungry. They didn't prepare much food or drink.

The next village is still a far from here. He has no choice, he wake up and try to find fruits to eat. He wandering around not too far from their place and take some ripe fruit. The only food he eager to eat is tomatoes, when he still a child. But as time goes by, he eat anything this world give to him. His money as the leader of ANBU surely isn't small but he give them all to bank and just take a very little to eat and drink. When he's taking fruits, he hear her shouted. He didn't know what make him go as fast as he could to find what makes her shout like that. She's a grown up strong woman, she can shielding herself, she can fight for herself. But why… he care too much like this?

"Sakura?" he stop and saw she's already wake up, a very pale from face to skin, facing a big snake down there.

"S-snake…" she said, a very small whimpered. Then Sasuke understand, she's afraid of snake. He get rid of that hissing thing and face her again when it missing.

"You're afraid of snake." It feels more like a statement than a question. She's hiding her face and facing another direction. "hey. Take this." She turn to him and catch the fruit he take for them.

"T-thank you…" he still thinking, how could a great shinobi afraid of some ridiculous animals? She's really weak. How many things again she's afraid of? He finishing his fruit and get ready.

"You don't even ask why im afraid of snake…" she said behind him. He turn around, facing her, stoically. Cold.

"I don't care." She know his statement supposed to hurt her heart, but as it already breaking yesterday ago, she feel like it just another heartless statement from his.

"I know. You have a snake teacher youself." She said mockingly. He know this time gonna happen. Someone will insult him with his dark past. But he never think that Sakura will be the first person doing this to him. And he's not gonna blow up or attack her back. He knows he's worth to get insult like that. Sakura waiting for his counter-attack, but he just standing there, staringa t her, blankly. Like nothing live in that walking shell. She felt a fire of anger because of being ignored so many times burning so badly inside her.

"You never care about anyone, Uchiha." Here she goes again. He know whenever she called her name woth that tone, with that emphasized, she's trying to make him feelt how hurt she feel. But he just cant. they are two different people. He cant feel too much emotions, too much feelings, like her. he just incapable. As much as he know that, she never understand that and hating the fact of his inadequate.

"Let's go." He said, waiting for her to finish and gathered herself up.

"You can go first. I will meet you at our next destination."

"It still a day far from here, Sakura."

"_I don't care._" She gritted her teeth, back his words exactly to him. He buried all the emotion he feel. All the anger, the wrath. He cant lose this mission just because he cant control himself and the pink haired teammate. He just nodded without any sound and go. Her eyes widened, he really gonna leave her just like this?

But yes, he's leaving her.

Isn't that what she want?

Yes, but then why it feel so hurt here?

She's holding her hands in front of her chest, try to breath as deep as she can. It still there. The pain. The pain of being left. By him.

And she cant hold back the tears anymore. The tears from the deepest hole of her heart that she has build up wall so high now nothing.

Konoha, 4 pm, Hokage's house.

"Hina-chaaan!" Naruto smile widely and hug his wife from behind, causing her to gasped in shock. "ehehehe" he let his hug and going beside hear. she's smiling smoothly to him.

"You are coming earlier tonight, Naruto-kun." She's already overcoming her stutter as he kissing her so many times than she lost count.

"I cant wait to have dinner with my lovely wife and this big boy," he holding his son in his arm lovingly. He has his cerulean eyes but indigo hair of his mother. In his only 1 months old, he's already beinga loud baby. He's still try to say "daddy" instead of "dahdah" but Naruto never mind of whateber her baby's boy say to him. He see that as a progress.

"Naruto…" Hinata open the conversation as she prepare the dinner on the table.

"Hmmm?" Naruto still playing with the baby boy in his baby's chair next to him. He's so into him. He feels like he face the little twins of himself. He cant get bored of him. The little boy love to play as much as his father give him ramen.

"I'm thinking of Sasuke-kun and Sakura-chan…" the name get his attention, he turn his face to look at her worried pearly eyes ones.

"What are you worrying about, Hinata-chan?" he look at her questioned.

"S-Sakura have been struggling so hard… to get over him…"

"So?" he hasn't find any connection yet.

"Y-you think it's a good idea trying to macth them together…?"

"I don't understand, Hinata. Look at them, they look so… so fit each other. They just too stubborn to accept the fact that they are destined together." Hinata look at his husband carefully. A little worried still in her eyes, but she's trying to understand his vision either. He's a goodman, no question. A wonderful one. Loving. Caring. Naruto paying his attention back to his baby boy and smiling widely to him, as if this is just another thing she's talking about in the dinner, not his best friends love life that can destroy both parts. He knows their potential. He know what future can they have.

But he doesn't know any of Sakura Haruno's tears in the middle of the night for the same thing; Sasuke Uchiha.

She knows her pain. How she's trying to cover her pain with that big smile. How she's trying to find another man to get over him. How she's trying… to rebuild her life again, after it broken into pieces, beyond repair because of that last Uchiha. Hinata is never the one who didn't believe in second chance. She like the Uchiha, she does really think that Sakura and him would make a great couple. But it's not what people trying to make them that being questioned… but;

"…can they overcome what happened between them…?" Naruto stop smiling widely at his boy, his eyes piercing to the wall across him. The little man cries of the silence between his most lovely ones.

She hates the Uchiha. Of course. It wasn't questionable! The cold, self-centered, egoistic, heartless bastard. _How can a person like Naruto become his best buddies? They are exactly the opposite! And what my young version see at him, make it infatuation for some years that even drive her to some her embarrassed moment? Stupid stupid stupiiiid!_

The medic-nin slap both her cheek hard, controlling her breath after some hours left away by the dark haired shinobi. She spent the rest time to swear on him, making his worse picture in her mind and making mental note to gone too far with someone like him. Beside he's dangerous, he's not capable to sense other's feeling beside him! He never consider anyone, even his comrade! Not even after he's sentencing his loyatly to Konoha, he's still that stoic-heatless-motherfucer who hurt her feeling!

Panting, she feel better now after cursing him until the very of her bottom hole. She took a deep breath and try to focus on the mission. Naruto wants her to join this, because he know she can do it. Maybe because he want to train her persistence and patience to someone like him. Or maybe he just want her to living hell with him…

Sigh, the pink haired nin walking her path again. It's already 6, the sun already run away and moon's gonna come. She doesn't really like walking in the forest alone in the night. Beside she cant see like Hinata or having good weapon like Tenten or even can save herself by swithing her soul to tree like Ino, she's plainly tired now, hungry, thristy, and beyond all, pissed to the max with her only partner in this long mission that left her alone in the dark like this. How good he is.

She never like dark and snake, since it reminds her a lot about him. How's that two thing represent him that fit? Exactly. The cold air make her shiver. Her pink locks lost ther radiant in the cold night in the dark like this. The moon already covered by cloud. Is is still possible he stop to wait for her or he just continuing to their place? Or he, in the middle way, back to her, realizing his fault and kneeling to get her forginevess? Oh wait, that's impossible. More likely he think and of this mission and in the middle way back to Konoha leaving her all alone to get lost in the forest so he can live peacefully or he back to some powerfull people and betray Konoha once again, leaving her all alone… hurtful.

If the second happen, she wont chase him anymore.

_What so good about him, anyway? Romantic? Of course not. There's a few boys who give her some flowers, chocolate, or even the last one-the landlord-a house for her just to get her attention. Good-looking? Hey, Neji or Kiba also a good-looking one. Yes, Neji already Tenten's but Kiba is still single and they have been flirting some times ago, before he left to train with Akamaru and they both know that remain just being friends is enough. Powerfull? Of course Naruto can be a very good choice. She can take him first before Hinata claim him. But her heartrt is yearning for him. For him only. No exception. Why oh why?_

But despite what happened between them, she's gladly those awful events happen. It open her eyes of what truly his. And her heart sloly breaking, pushing him away. Everytime she think to go back to love him, she's thinking of all the mistake, the fault, the how worst he can become, and it all can prevent her of hoping too much Uchiha can change and be a loveable one, ever again. Sakura's smiling, feeling how smart is her, to preveng the falling again, by remin how hurt is it.

So now they're just two person know each other and doing mission, right?

But…

How about the last kiss they share? How about him, caring her wounds? How about those…?

But!

How about he left her after kissing her? how about he left her like this?

Grumpying, she's fastening her walk. The feeling to be alone in this dark isn't really nice. Beside that, she's thinking about the Uchiha all the way. It just make it a lot worse. Okay, then thinking about something nice. Konoha. Hospital. Friends.

Sasuke Uchiha.

Open her eyes in her brief meditation, she's panting. No no no. he's getting too far in her mind! What next? He's standing behind her to tell how much he loves her? ha-ha.

"Sakura." She's almost jumping out of shock. Regain herself, she's turn back, facing the black orbs.

"S-sasuke…"

"I get message from Naruto, he's shorting the time to only one weeks."

"E-ekh?"

"The misson."

"O-oh okay." They shared the looking-in-the-eye for couple hours but then he break it first, exactly not like him. "we've been walking for likely 3 days… we gotta arrive tomorrow afternoon. If the enemy still there, we're lucky to take it that day and back to Konoha."

"Hai."

"Fastened your walk." Then he left. Angry, she following him still cursing him in her heart. _Sasuke Uchiha is stuuuuupiiiiiiiiiiid!_

Meanwhile sasuke has other things in his mind;

_Why Dobe shortening one month to one week? What happen? Is there something bad happen in Konoha so they have to go there faster?_

_Or…_

He stole glance at the grumpy pink haired girl behind him.

_He just worry we both facing final destruction to each other on this mission… which is likely to happen. Just in the matter of time…_

Uchiha never feel this vunerable before. Going back miles to find his grumpy partner. Just to say those thing he actually can say by sending signs or something. He just find excuses to meet her, face to face. To make sure, to see she's okay with his dark orbs. That's so not like him. He let his instinct, his irrelogical heart to lead him. This is the start of the failing mission. Incapable leader to control himself is nothing but failed mission.

He just care too much about her. and he aware that he's not allowed to do that. No emotions are allowed when you are in a mission.

And he's fully aware that's the beginning of his self-destruction.

They didn't sleep, again, and finally arrive in the village. Yawning every 5 minutes, Sasuke finally agree to find a loft to sleep. While Sakura complain about too much walking can get her chakra dry, she's buried herself in the stack of food and just asking two different room to get rid of the Uchiha. Remind him quetly about them as a couple, she just talking it loud;

"What? Now you're begging of my forgiveness, after you abandoned me in the cold night? No forgiveness! I'm single now!" and those pervert and stupid boys just stealing glance at her breath-taking beauty. He just hate whenever any boy take that look at her. like they're just imagining her from porn book or movies, which is true actually, she's as sexy as them. Or that nerd looking so wanting at her, like they're gonna do everything just to get an inch closer to her. right, she's smart, no question. And those lame big boy who think they can get her lunch with showing their muscle. Little they know she's much stronger than they.

_**Since when you're so care about those who lay an eye to your possession?**_

_What?_

_**Maybe it's obsession, Uchiha, not possession. She's never yours to begin with.**_

_Shut up._

"I'm gonna rest this day, if you wanna go look the scroll, just go! Meet me back if you're already _need me_, Uchiha." He just stunning, watching her beautifully turn around her back to her pink smooth lock will looking like they're just in the wind or how her heels make her legs look more delicious than tomatoes. Laughing quetly at himself, he walk to his bedroom. This is the 4th day, and he's not gonna waste time by sitting or sleeping. Sasuke walk away from his bedroom, right acroos hers, have no intention to ask her to looking for the scroll. He can do this mission, alone.

It don't take too long for him to find the enemy. Not like what Naruto descripe, he's nothing but just an old thief who don't know the price of the scroll he's stealing. By some beat the scroll already in his hands. He's thinking on how the pink haired medic will say to him. She's not gonna happy, of course. She will think him as an egoistic bastard who do everything in his own without telling her and of course she will hate him for that.

And that's good, he can spare a distance with her.

This mission is already done. They can go back with her hating him and him avoiding her. he already talking to Naruto to give up his ANBU's position to live so far off place to seek in peace, not power anymore. Maybe it that some far of place there's a girl that never hear his name and he can start everything from 0 again. Forgeting his past… everything from his past….

He bite his lower lips in the tought of a pink haired little girl smiling so beautifully at him.

Sighing, sasuke open the door.

"I know you will always be like this." Sasuke didn't have to turn around to see the owner of the voice. "I know since the very start the mission was fake, naruto just trying to match we up together." The bitterness. The shaking.

Sakura haruno is broken.

"And I was a fool believe that you someday would care, even for your teammates." Sasuke turn around to see Sakura, staring straightly at him.

"You think you know me, Sakura." If she really know this is just another match game, why she didn't back away from all of this? She's the one who agree to do this mission. She knew exactly how the mission, only the two of them, will breaking her heart. She cant blaming him. Uchiha is a head-strong one that take no blame.

"Yes, Sasuke, I know the consequence. Why I take this mission? Because I think I may can have my old teammate again. You're just like your brother, never care any of their comrade."

"Don't you dare…"

"_You are no better than him."_

That's it.

Knowing that sasuke since the very start never try to make his relationship better make her bitter. How can you believe in someone that doing the mission along, forgetting you? Yes, at least you wont get hurt, but how about caring, respect, and knowing that you need your comrade?

"You…" Sakura is going to say how much she disappointed right when he take her down to the couch, his lips catching her. she lost her words, her breath. Taking advantage of her shock, Sasuke take her wrist above her head and ravaging her sweet cavern. Sakura, back to her awareness, struggling to let go of him.

"Eeeeerrm!" she said while her lips still attached to him, moving her body to get free. Little she knows, he little effort just make him hard. Unconcousiolly she just griding herself to him, that now wanting nothing but marking the body beneath him his.

"Say it again." He finally let go of her lips. "I am nothing like them."

"You're just the same." She said coldly. He move his lips, ghosting her neck. She had held back a moan when feeling his moist tongue in her neck. Lapping, biting, of he will leave much hickeys there.

To be honest, Sakura was never with a guy before.

Yes, she loved him. Yes, she want him. Yes, she want her first to be with him.

But now it's not like what she's thinking. Maybe she love his old one. She want his old one. She want her first to eb with the guy she really know, she admire, she confessed years ago.

"Akh…" she let a soft mewled when his mouth having a good time with her breast. He let go of her wrist. Instead push him back off her, her hands instictvely snaking around his neck. He smirked knowing that. _Sakura Haruno is still in love with him._

"I'm not like them." Sakura moan, he sucking her breast without taking her yukata first. With his hands, he opened the fabric. Sakura is naked before his eyes now.

"Y-yes you were… ah…"

"If you hate me that much, why you let me doing this to you?" he take a look at her lusty eyes. Her dully hazy emerald orbs.

"I-i… don't know the answer…" she's breathing again, so erotically. Seeing her from her abdomen like this, her emerald orbs between her breast, make him latch his lips again to her mouth, savouring every tatse she give to him. Sasuke himself never let his needs for a woman growing. If ever, he only has to find some woman from street and fucking them senseless. Without thinking. Without admiring.

Without satisfy his woman.

"Sasuke…" sasuke let his mind wandering, without knowing that sakura now grasing his face force him to look into her eyes. Her emerald moving, wanting to know if the old sasuke she loved still there, buried deep in his dark orbs. He squezze lightly at her breast and she loose control, she brought her head back down.

He enjoying the neck she give to him, giving her more hickeys. His hands finding peace at her supple breast, pinching, toying with her peaks. Sakura let moans that echoing in the back of his mind. He want to hear that voice, again, again, and again. He suck her breast. Her breath, her warmth, her taste. He want it all. He want this to be the last thing he feel at night and the first thing he had in the morning.

His mind make a picture of naked, messy Sakura beside him, her smile, her eyes, beside him, everyday, when he woke up, for the rest of his life.

That's it.

He thrust his digit into her core without warning, without even taking the panties off, earning loud growl from her.

"Sa..sasuke!"

"Hn,"

"N-not fair…" she find it hard to make a words when he's fucking her with his digits like this. "c-clothes…" she's tugging his yukata, signaling them must be off. Taking his digit off, even she's pouting slowly at the loss of warmth, he quickly throw his yukata and back kissing her.

"Hn," Was his only response. She cant feel, think, wondering what she feel about him now, it's just overwhelming. The sex, how he moves again her. how she waiting for her prince to take away her virginity…

And now she lost it to someone never love her.

Sasuke can see Sakura cries and she close her eyes. He knows she maybe hate him for doing this. For fucking her like this. Even he wants, he cant stop. He just has to finish this and swear to never get around her again. Because with her, he cant think straight. He cant find the uchiha ethics. He forget himself. His past. His dark. His life.

He only can feel her.

His kisses deeping when thrusted to her. he virgin wall clamped to his manhood, causing a very overwhelming feeling. He never feel like this before. She just like a crossword that he afraid to get. She just too beautiful to see, to good to be true for his own good.

They both panting, knowing exactly tomorrow they will far, far from just two people ever know.

Konoha, Hyuuga District

Hyuuga Tenten is stretching for her deep slumber. She never sleep this heavy after pregnancy that makes her hard to sleep. Even in her 3 months, their daughter already get more than her life. She cant wait the time she will meet little hyuuga. When she wake up, a pair of strong arms resting on her shoulder, taking her down again with a yelp. Hyuuga Neji is nuzzling on his pregnant wife's scent.

"You're so early," he said, smelling her chocolate brown hair.

"Why? Are you feeling defeated because I'm waking up earlier than you today?" she giggling, his breath near her ear is tickling.

"What makes you wake up so early? I don't wanna loose your warmth." His hand travel futher to squeeze her breast.

"I dreamed… strange."

"A nighmare?"

"No, just strange." Get interest, Neji let go his wife to facing her, his hand soothing her smooth hair. He loves her hair.

"What dream? About us?" she shake her head.

"It's Sakura and Sasuke." His eyebrow arched about his wife dreaming of other man.

"You dream about Sasuke?" Tenten laughing sense a bit of jealousy on his voice.

"Geez, Neji, I dreamed about you every day, kiss you every morning, and having you in my mind every second, so now you're jealousy I'm dreaming of another male?"

"Hn," he kissed her from her confessed.

"And I'm not dreaming about uchiha, neji. I'm dreaming about them. Sasuke and sakura, together."

"And why is it strange?"

"Because it's too good." His everbrow knotted. Tenten know she must sound weird, but her dream really just like what she said.

"I dreamed Sasuke and Sakura finally together, raising child and I have this kind of feeling when I wake up, that they will always be just dream. They can never be together… and that makes me sad, neji. I know how much sasuke means to sakura. She loved him, even more than her life…" Neji sweep her tears and kiss her cheek. Tenten try to smile on her husband sweet behavior.

"They may seems too good to be true, but like you and the others, I do think, even a bit, very tiny chance that they will end up together."

"Yeah, hopefully. You know, it hurts to love someone that doesn't love you back."

"Lucky I never feel that," he take her in his arms, never want to let her go. "I love you tenten."

"I love you too, Neji." She just hope her best friend, the most eligible bachelorette in Konoha, someday find a happiness to her weird feeling towards a certain uchiha boy who never care about anything.

Her hair still damp, her body limp after their last love-making session on the shower, she just wanna sleep. Knowing she has no strength anymore to even get to the bed, Sasuke carried her bridal style to their bed. They've been doing this entire day. Maybe because they know tomorroe everything will change. In every session, when he thrusted into her, she just there, closing her eyes, as if she wakes tomorrow, she just want to think this all just dreams.

But both know they will never forget this.

She's sleeping, he cover her naked form with blanket. He never kind of cuddling after sex person. Afterall, it just sex. He never believe in such a sweet love making. Sasuke know very well that she knows he just using her for his needs and she just lost in it. She cant hope he can be someone in her dreams, a boy that exactly like she wants. He simply just cant love.

Uchiha didn't do love.

Sasuke has lost his ability to feel far since the massacre. He has going through the point where he doesn't even know what feeling has to do to gain a power. And since team 7, sakura always be the most stubborn, too much feeling, the most dramatic one. Sasuke wake from the bed, going to have a cold shower to clear his mind.

He never plan to stay beside her forever.

Meanwhile Sasuke inside the bathroom, Sakura was awake. Her mind still blur, from the last thing she remember is the fighting between her and sasuke. Then after that… she move her body, feeling all sore. Her mind gathering the lost pieces. They had sex. She lost it. She lost her heart once again to him. To one she think she already move over.

She never really move on from him. He always be the one she think in the first time she open her eyes, the one whose name was on her breath when she had a nightmare, the one she wants to be with when she felt the most hurts, sad, scary, loved. He always be the one…

Sakura can feel her tears in her cheek, dripping down slowly to the sheet. He always be the one and only that she let her tears drowing. She had never cry for anyone, never wake up crying in the middle of the night for anyone but him, never let her mind thinking about any man but him. It feels so hurt, so hurt, knowing you just loose what you have for the one that never care about you, yet you cant let him go.

She bitted her lips, let herself crying in the silence of the night. The moon shine as if mocking her. He always be the night, the dark sky, and she just cant life without night. He is her breath, her heart, her soul, her everything. Now what? He will just walking from her life, leaving her all broken again. She understand a lot that he can never love. He may died without making an uchiha line of if he ever think of having child, he may be just using any other slut outside te town, betrayed konoha once again, leaving all behind and starting a new life somewhere. It doesn't hard for someone like him. To hurt people, to leave them soouless.

Sakura will let all the thing be. She will never push any hope anymore. She even didn't think she would lay any hope for a certain uchiha anymore.

The door cracked open, Sakura refused to pretend asleep. If this is goodbye, she wants this without closing her eyes and lost consciousness like the last time he left her. She wants the goodbye is looking straight in his eyes and prove that she's stronger that she even think. Sakura can feel sasuke's presence behind her back. Her eyes fixated to the moon, waiting the uchiha to make a move.

Sasuke know sakura was awake. Her back facing him, her chakra seems dry. She wouldn't fight him or arguing with him. After put a clothes, sasuke facing her back.

"We're leaving tonight."

_We?_

"What you mean by we?" her voice dry, harsh.

"Back to Konoha," he didn't bothered to answer her question. Sakura herself has no power left to force uchiha to answer her question, so she just let her eyes close, let herself relax to find a power to walk into the shower, get ready to leave all this mess.

What happened today here, stays here. Nothing to bring to Konoha. Not even a memory.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

…_**For what's worth….**_

"Shika, what do you think of this?" Ino coming out from the bathroom, wearing a thin fabric of a nightgown. Shikamaru, still sleepy, groan in their bed.

"Where'd you go with such a thing?" for God sake, he just waking up, finding his fiancée in such gown and maybe ready to go somewhere with those kind of thing, his head just spinning.

"To the Gala. It's tomorrow, if you forget." Hell, he even doesn't even want to remember. The Gala was like a big party for adult shinobi in Konoha, and all of them must come. He didn't understand how can people make such a bored things. They didn't do much there, only talking, mingle, talking, eating, talking, last years he find himself and Ino inside the janitor room for the rest of the night, because simply she tease him with her gown. Now is she going to do that again?

"You know I don't like going to the party, Ino." She's walking down the bed, to see the mirror in the corner, watching herself there. Her long blonde hair cascade through her naked back. And the cut in her gown, everyone could see her longs lengs to almost her hips. Shikamaru held another growl, eyeing her figure from behind.

"I know, that's why I think this years I'm gonna find another escort." She's doing her hair, make it look sexier than ever.

"What?" he cant fight back a schock. "Who?"

"Hmmm I don't know, maybe Sai."

"Ino, you know I don't like you going around too much with him." He walk to her, standing right behind her.

"Then who, Shikamaru? I _couldn't not to go_ to the Gala without escort!" she almost yelled. Shikamaru hold her hips against him.

"Fine, I'll go." He kissed her neck.

"I don't need an escort that's not enjoying the party." She said, coldly, try to pry her off his grip.

"I enjoyed, Ino. I enjoyed doing everything as long as it's with you," He turn hner around and catch her lips. "…beside, I wont let anyone lay their eyes to this," his hand gazing her legs. "this…" his other hands traveling to her cleavage. "…and having this," he kissed her hungrily.

Ino smiling to her fiancée, oh yes, the lazy shikamaru isn't as lazy as usual about this kind of thing.

"Do you think Sakura will come too? Last year she missing it for a mission and lack of escort, even almost of single man population in this Konoha try to get her. But I heard she goes on a mission with uchiha, doesn't it make you think there may be something happen along the mission between them?"

"Maybe. They're just too stubborn for each other."

"Oh, I really hope she can find happiness with that damn uchiha boy. God, he's too dense!"

"You seems still caring about him,"

"Are you jealous?"

"…yes." He bring her to the bed and didn't give her any chance to talk about the younger uchiha again.

_Tomorrow is a new day._

That's the tagline of the tv show she usually watch when she's having breakfast before going to hospital. It's the drama about a poor girl that struggling in her life, from zero to hero. She didn't do much watching tv for her almost entire day in hospital, so that show is the only things she remembered since she become the head of Konoha Hospital.

But maybe those tagline isn't true at all.

Her sore body from yesterday is a prove that tomorrow isn't a new day. Today they're ready going back to Konoha. They didn't do much talking during the breakfast and Sasuke even didn't say a thing, while she's the one that ordered the food and pay the bill of their hotel. She was walking behind him, her head down watching her sandals moving her body. She didn't want to watch his back, his black spiky hair, she didn't even want to feel his presence near her. She shutted down her chakra since morning, just let herself being nothing but a normal person.

Oh how Sakura wants to be a normal person. Flirting here and there like Ino, or being in a serius relationship like Tenten, even Temari change her boyfriend every 3 months. She simply looking for 'the best' for her, Temari said when Sakura was sent to Suna. Kankurou has married and Gaara is in a proper relationship with a girl in suna. Temari said she didn't want to have 'cat inside rag' so if she just feel didn't match with someone, she didn't bother to dump them rightly. Sakura admire her woman power, she can tell her mind, she refuse if she didn't want, she simply didn't stand still in the condition that make her uncomfortable.

So unlike Sakura.

It's been years she just keep her heart for one, the one and only Uchiha. No matter how he break it again and again, she just can not find any reason not to forgive him and protect him from any bad comments. She remembered when she defense him when Sai talking about him. Sai, ah Sai. She chuckle herself thinking about Sai. Oh how those boy represent Sasuke physically. But they're really a different person. She can say that she like Sai better. He has changed, he much much much fun to be friends with.

She still remember all the mission they're doing together, just the two of them, since Naruto busy being a Hokage. They are often doing thinsg together while not having a mission. Last funny things they're doing was painting Sakura's back fence. Instead of painting it in bright pink colour, he use the paints to draw. Sakura was shock to some of her fence now full of his draw. From mountain, Hokage tower, council bulding, he just simply draw Konoha's map in the fence. She couldn't fight back a loud laughing that make her neighbor looking at them. Sai just standing there, his face look innocent as if he didn't know what's his doing.

Then when they're help fixing Tenten's kukuk clock. A big clock that has a manekin bird inside it that will come every one hour and sounding 'kukuk, kukuk, kukuk!'. Tenten and Neji is going to hospital for checking her pregnancy and Sakura and Sai was left in their house in hyuuga distict alone. So Sai unpurposedly knocking the bird when nailing nails. Sakura that know how much it cost to brought a new one, ask him to find exactly the same manekin in toy store. But Sai is just be Sai, he simply draw a ink bird and keep in inside when Sakura's not watching.

Guess when Neji and Tenten home and finding ink was melted to their floor in the place their kukuk bird should be, Sai and Sakura was already going out the town asking for even a D mission. Sakura sighing, her lips make a simply smile. Sai, Sai, now he's going on a solo mission. Being such a rogue ANBU make him has almost no time. Since Sasuke back, Naruto officialy re-arrange the ANBU, located Sai on a long term mission that take three months, or even one year. Truthfully, Sakura miss him. She hardly spent her time with her girl friends for they're now in a serious relationship with their fiancée or husband, and she left alone.

_Sai, I miss you._

They already crossing the gate, it takes one night again to back to Konoha. Maybe going back is easier than going there for they only take a few minutes. Or maybe it's because both of them wanting to go home and separatedly quickly so intensenly?

Couldn't find anything in the middle of jungle, Sasuke stop on his tracks, Sakura follows a path behind him, not wanting to be close.

"We're sleeping here." He said, taking his bags and start to take his sleeping bag. She's doing the same, still making a distance between them, she's landing her sleeping back near a tree.

It maybe one of the longest night Sakura has ever been through.

"You're back!" Naruto wake up from his Hokage chair when see Sakura and Sasuke standing in front of him. Naruto walking down to them and quickly open his arms, signaling to do three hugging together. Sadly, not one of them move. Sakura eyes were heavy, she didn't look at Naruto, while Sasuke gaze just piercing skull as always. "well…" Naruto shrugged of his arms, trying to figure what just happened here. Two of them make the air seems death in this room. "so how's the mission?"

"..." Sasuke didn't say anything, handing him a scroll. Naruto just take it and put in the table behind him, his smile didn't fade. But still, he can feel a death aura between the two.

"Aren't you guys a good team?"

"Thanks, Naruto." Sakura said, turning back to the door.

"Hey wait, Sakura-chan!" but too late, she already gone. "geez, what happened here, teme? This room feels like someone just died here." He said, looking back puzzling to his best buddy. Sasuke's darks orbs rullong down to the floor, his face as stoic as usual.

"Is there something happened?" Naruto finally said.

"…yes."

"Then why Sakura-chan seems like she's upset, sad, ehm, I don't even know the adhective is,"

"…"

"You didn't hurt her, did you?" He's standing right in front of him, face just a mere centimeters. His cerulean blue eyes becoming serous. "I'll kill you if you ever hurt Sakura-chan again."

"_Again?_"

"You know she hurts more beyond repaired when you're gone, teme. You take half of her life with you. If you hurt her this time I don't think she has anything left."

"…hn,"

"So?"

"You don't need to know."

"What?" Naruto step back, frustrated sitting down his chair. "What the hell happened between you two? Oh come on Sasuke, this entire village know you guys, Uchiha and Haruno, are deserve each other."

"I don't think so," he turn back to the door.

"Whatever. Tonight there's a Gala, and I want you work whatever between you and Sakura-chan. I maybe wont kill you _for her sake's_ Sasuke. But I surely will not let you hurt her." Sasuke slam the door behind him, hard.

"Hey forehead!" Sakura turned her back, waiting Ino that running whle waving at hesr.

"Ino-pig" she said when she's arrived beside her, panting.

"Fyuuh, good thing I met you. You just come from the mission, eh?"

"Yap," they're walking together along Konoha's street.

"So how's it?"

"Nothing to explain."

"Oooh come on, forehead, there must be something happened between you two! Wait, have you been showered this morning?"

"Yes."

"You come here after showering, right?" Sakura know last time she has showered was the last time of their making love session.

"He-eh."

"…You smell just like him." Ino said, whispering to her.

"Just stop it, Ino. I'm not in the mood…" she said. Ino can catch a different tone in her voice. She stop. Ino just understand what just happened.

"He didn't hurt you again, did he?" She staring at her back. Sakura stop, stand still. Her hands curling become a fist. Looking at her, Ino know the answer. She gasped, closing her mouth with her hand. "don't tell me that you guys… oh God, Sakura, how come?" She come closer to her, her hand resting at her shoulders.

"It's nothing, Ino…"

"It's never nothing with him, Sakura."

"I just don't wanna think about it, okay? I'm fine. Thanks Ino." She look at her, smile widely. Ino know too sure that Sakura was broken when she smile that widely. Ino looking worry at her best friend. She know that uchiha boy eventually will broke her heart. Ino shook her head. Sakura just too good. She never leave him, not even for a very good choice like Naruto. She could easily take the blonde heart before Hinata, but she choose to lying to herself that Sasuke is everything she ever wanted.

She never be the one that listen about uchiha. The uchiha sasuke in her mind, her world is as perfect as the last time. Ino even afraid if someday Sasuke ask her to betrayed her countrt, will she just come in? Ino, of course, shook that thoughts.

"We need to go somewhere," Ino muttered under her breath.

"What?" Sakura couldn't hear correctly.

"Let's go!" Ino take her hands and pulled her along the way, not concerning any of her yells.

"Stop it Ino! Where'd you take me? Hell I could walk by myself!"

"Just shut up, forehead!" Sakura shut her mouth, following wherever Ino pulled her. Ino stopped right in a familiar house. Too familiar for Sakura.

"Wait Ino, what are you…"

"SAIIII!" The one who get called looking down from doing his painting at second floor veranda, looking at them. He smile warmly. Sakura was taken aback, she missed Sai so much. Last time, he went on a mission somewhere that doesn't even know when he's going back. That's why he missed Naruto's showered boy.

"Hello Ino. Hello Sakura, it's been a long time."

"Get your ass down here, I need to talk to you," Ino command him with her bossy style. What Sakura always impressed is boys always get their knees on her command. Even Naruto was afraid of her. Silently, Sakura feel a big admiration for Shikamaru that can make the Queen get on his knees.

The door opened, Sai opened the fence and let them come in. He look warmly at Sakura who can feel te muscle in her face how straight to a smile. She couldn't just let him smile to her while she's not. Sai always bring this kind of atmostphere that make her feel comfortable.

"Well," Ino sit right in the sofa without the owner of the house give her permission to. Afterall, it's Ino we're talking about. She's taking no order from anyone! Sakura chuckle again thinking about this. "Sai, I want you to escort Sakura on the Gala tonight."

"What?" it's from sakura, not from Sai. "I just come home less than an hour ago, Ino-pig! How could you…"

"It's still 5 pm, you still have 2 hours to get ready. Beside I don't think Sai will take much time to prepare, aren't you?"

"I…" Sai was began to answer when Sakura cut off.

"No way in hell I would going to the Gala."

"Then I'm sure you will have no place to sleep today, Sakura."

"What…" Ino take something from her pocket, showing her a key. A freaking key that was her house key. "How…"

"I just take it from your landlady, I was planning on throwing a welcome party for you, actually, but then we met in the street and… no I don't think I would give this to you tonight." Gritted her teeth to the witch in front of her that now smile so devilish, Sakura muttere;

"…fine."

Ino make a victorious smile.

"Good so now where's going to update your clothes and Sai, don't forget to pick her up tonight before 7 oclock! If I didn't see you guys there…" Ino wake and walking to the door. "…I will take your drawing things and enver give it back to you. Come on Sakura!" Sakura follow Ino but before she left, she said to sai;

"If you don't want to go, it's fine." She try to give him a smile.

"Before she ask me, I already plan to ask you today, Sakura." He reply her with equal smile.

"Glad to hear. By the way, are you just come from the mission?"

"I come exactly one hour after you go in a mission."

"How…"

"Genma told me when I arrived at gate 'you're too late, Sakura-chan just kidnapped by Uchiha boy'" Sakura's face flushing red. She never think Genma was a person that think there's something between her and Sai.

"SAKURA, ENOUGH CHIT-CHAT, WE'RE RUNNING OF TIME!" yelled Ino outside.

"Oops I got to go. Meet you there, Sai."

"Good to meet you again," She smile.

"Yeah, I miss you too."

Ino already taking her hand out of Sai's house before she even had a chance to waving at him.

Party is never Shikamaru's things. He often thinking on how can two people with a very different interest could ever make a good companion. He and Ino was quite a puzzle that he can not solve. She just simply too complicated too understand while he's too simple to be understand. Maybe, different did attract. Shikamaru didn't like almost everything she likes and otherwise. He can not understand how she can let her go starving for some iditotic diet. Hell, she has a killer body. Ino has so many weird behavour that shikamaru never get.

And this is just another her crazy idea.

Shikamaru watch Sakura and Sai, walking to the mini bar. Half an hour ago Sai was come to him and Ino's house, picking Sakura up. That's when he just realized that Sakura just got hoem after her mission and now get make over by his fiancée. He ask Sai what happened and Sai just said;

"I got lucky." Shikamaru cant define his meaning. Maybe he true, he's lucky because he can be an escort for Konoha most eligible bachelorette. But it struck him. Why Sai? His eyes wondering to the couch. A man that's sitting there holding a glass of wine, stoic and his eyes fixated to the crowd, Uchiha Sasuke was alone, without escort.

He just want to ask his fiancée what happened right when Ino taking him to the basement, to the janitor closet. Shikamaru lost his thoughts at the time her lips collide with him.

"Wanna drink?" Sakura said, pointing to the wine.

"I will find just mineral water, if you excuse me,"

"Of course. Bring me one too." Sakura's not in the mood to get drunk tonight. She just come home after a terrible mission with sore body and being drunk is the last thing in her mind. She just wanna have fun, have a little chit-chat with Sai, then get some rest. This is quite a bog party. Sakura was never in the Gala before. She's just too busy and not having an escort make her didn't come to party like this often. Sai was just the same with her. That's why she's very lucky to go to Gala with him. She must thanks Ino sometime.

The music started, a dancing one. She can see Tenten and Neji, holding hands, moving with the music. Their face so serenade, Sakura couldn't help but smiling at them. Hinata and Naruto were spotted near food, as always, Naruto couldn't behave well whenever he's near food. Hinata chuckle beside him, trying to get his mouth clean while having a tart.

Sakura just standing, leaning on the wall, watching the people going around. She didn't do much socialize, she's spending her time in her hospital and mission. Those two things already become her life. Her sanity. Her stability. How can she face everything now? She cant stand not to think about a certain uchiha. She put her hand on her forehead. She had this headache since they come back, and this evening she didn't have a chance to take aspirin. So yes, drunk was really not an option tonight.

"Drink?" someone shrugged a glass of wine in front of her. She take her chin of, her gaze meet with black orbs. Sasuke Uchiha, with withe shirt and open tuxedo, standing right in front of her.

"No, thanks." She said, wheter refusing the wine of refusing him. It's been a while since he talk. Did she miss his voice already? Sasuke eyeing her, obviously. She felt ashamed of his intense staring, she just gonna walk from the spot and find sai, find Ino and go get home to sleep. His hand stops her when she's gonna walk away. He put one of his hands to her shoulder and slightly push her back to the wall.

"What…" her words captured by his lips. She doesn't know when he put his glass, so his hands, both of his hands were roaming her body. He deepedn the kissed, one hand behind her neck and one just carres her jaw. She must be fallen asleep now. There's no way Uchiha Sasuke would do something like this to her. when he pulled back, she's breathing hard, trying to find answer in the those black onyx eyes.

"…who are you…?" she can see he smirk, then capture her lips once again, pulled back to let them have a breath and say;

"Sasuke Uchiha."

"There's no way you're him…"

"Why?"

"He will never kiss me in this kind of place…"

"What if he catch you with another guys and just cant control himself anymore?"

"That's still not possible…" she can feel her body went numb as he lowered his head, kissing her neck. "…stop it… whoever you are…"

"I cant." She can smell it. The deep smell. The ocean smell. If it wasn't Sasuke she doesn't know whoever this people that sucking on her neck. She even don't have any power to care. The kiss had made her dizzy and this numb indicating… she just get fever. Mayeb this is really sasuke, trapping her in his genjutsu, enjoying making her in pain. If it's what he wants, he get what he wants.

"I…need…to… go…" she said between heated kiss this person sharing. So gently. So sasuke-unlike. Whoever this person, if she didn't in a sick condition, she may would like to know more about this prince.

"You cant."

"I… my head… fever…"

And everything went dark.

If it's not Naruto banging on his door, eh would never go in such a party.

Sasuke Uchiha sitting on the couch, drinking lemon, grumbling. He didn't like wine though, but tonigh maybe he need one, after a very tiring mission. So after his lemon empty, he walking toward mini bar. He caught something strange there. Sai and Sakura are talking, Sakura smiling at him, then Sai gone. Sasuke never life his replacement, no matter how good he is. He never get to know him better eventhough he's ANBU captain.

Now, he didn't like him more.

Sakura's wearing a soft blue nightgown that reveal her back and a little of cleavage. Her long legs wrapping in a dark blue heels. How can she wear such an outfit, with his faforit colour too? Suddenly, image of last encounter getting on his mind. Sakura, panting, on their sheet as he thrusted into her, pounding together. How her sounds feel like music to his ears, how she called him…

'…_sasuke-kun…'_

Sasuke snap back into reality as he see Sakura leaning against wall. His mind gathering a picture of Sakura sandwiches between him and wall, panting, calling him again and again, her hands touching his abs…

Before Sasuke know, his legs already bring him towards her.

"Drink?" he said taking a wine. She look at him, a slightly shock. But she regain herself and refuse it. If my replacement will give her drink, will she accept it? What happened between them? Is she having a relationship with him? Thinking about Sakura with other man in bed burning Sasuke.

When Sakura is going to walk away, his hand reach her, keep her stiff in place. Right when her plump lips open, he couldn't think anything beside the urge to feel it, again. His tongue touch her, wandering her sweet cavern. He put his glass to the nearest table, not even looking. Their lips lock was opened and Sakura trying to talk;

"…who are you…?" is this girl just asking who he is? She must think that she's dreaming or someone else was taking advantage of her. she did believe in what just happened.

"Sasuke Uchiha." He smirk at her reaction.

"There's no way you're him…"

"Why?"

"He will never kiss me in this kind of place…"

"What if he catch you with another guys and just cant control himself anymore?" he teased her, his breath in ner ear, nibbing the earlobe then down.

"That's still not possible…" Sasuke sucking on her neck, biting the pulse that make her shudder. "…stop it… whoever you are…"

"I cant." How can I ever let you go whent you're making me this hot?

"I…need…to… go…" she said between heated kiss. He try as gently as he could. He didn't want her to run away from him when he want her to be with him so badly.

"You cant."

"I… my head… fever…" her body went limp, Sasuke catch her right before she's falling to ground. She still barely cant talk but lose her power. "i… need…. To… sleep…" He had to choose, taking her right here and she cant remember anything or just taking her back of her house and she still cant remember anything?

Sasuke choose that having sex with her is better when she's concous.

Silenly, he take her out of Gala, to her house. It's not far away so he can easily jump there.

"Where's the key, Sakura?"

"…Ino… have it…."

"What?"

"So I have… to go… with Sai…" Aha, the puzzled clicked. So that's why she goes to the Gala with him. Sasuke feel relief but then thinking, he cant go back to the Gala and find Ino, asking nicely Sakura's key. So he's thinking another option, taking Sakura to his home. He take her bridal style to Uchiha manor, she's falling asleep during the way. He lay her in his bed, covered her night gown with his thin blanket. He's watching her. she didn't put much make up, she actually already beautiful the way she is.

Her touch her face gently, cupped with his hands, bringing down himself, he kissed her slightly. A chaste kiss. Like a fairy tale, when he withdraw, she slowly opened her eyes.

"Sa…suke…?"

"Hn,"

"Where…"

"Uchiha Manor."

"My head…"

"Wait here." He go outside trying to find some aspirin. He find it and give her quicklu with a glass of water. She swallow it and get her head down to the pillow again. Slowly, she felt better. Is he really Uchiha sasuke, the one that hurt her feeling and abandoned her just like that? Is this the same person that now takingcare of her so gently?

"Sasuke…" whoever this person, she enjoyed this moment to just pretend that he's sasuke.

"Hn," her hand going up, touch his jaw, asking him to look at her jade ones. He can feel her hand's cold, the mere touch like feather skin to him. She just touching his face gently, her touchs feel like ghostbumps in his skin. Her hands traveling furher to his abs, tehn out of nowhere she said;

"Kiss me." Like magic, Sasuke obliged, he get downward to met her cold lips. She surely get cold. He pulled out.

"You're cold." He said.

"I wont feel cold… with you by my side." Sasuke get shock of what she just saying. Clearly she really isn't totally conscious. She may think this is just dreams and it's okay to telling him exactly what she feel. He cant take it anymore. _Let her think this is just a dream. Just a dream that come true. _He kissed her again, down to her neck, then take off her gown. Her body is in the same cold state. He afraid his blanket just too thin for her.

He didn't like her cold body like this. he'll gonna heat her.

Sasuke throw his clothes and hers, then their skin meet under the blanket. He huggend her to the pint there's no single air hole left between their bodies. Oh how good it was when the last time he feel her breats against him… Her breath become heavy, her jade eyes clouded. Sasuke resting his head between the juncture of her neck and shoulder blade. Her scent is intoxinating. Her cherry blossom hair, her smooth skin, the radiating heat from her nice body driving him insane. And suddenly the thoughts that Sai ever lay a finger is what supposed to be his making him grunt in disapprovement. He thighten then hugs, as if his arms was crushing her. there'd be red marks in her body tomorrow.

"Sasuke…" she said between his spiky hair. Her long pale arms reach the back of his head and squeeze it gently, massaging the scalp. Sasuke enjoy her caresses, with her he felt almost… comfortable. Like he would sleep all day here, in her arms, and never going to wake to face the world. He nuzzling in her neck, tickling her with his black jet spiky hair.

Sakura was never, feelt this comfortable with a man in her life. Even when she's with Sai or Naruto she still feel a little borderline. But with this man, she even don't know if there's a limit between them. Sakura try to collect all her strength to memorize this night, the touch, the smell. She still didn't, _couldn't_ believe this man called himself uchiha sasuke. Sakura has been through a rough night with a certain uchiha and never feel… _loved_ like this. So whoever he is, she truly wish he will there when she wake up, never leave her alone. She even didn't want to sleep, she wants to keep her eyes open to savor her prince's dark eyes.

Sakura taking Sasuke's face to meet her gaze. Pale skin, black orbs like black hole, a pair of lips that eventually smirk at her. She recognize him. Even in the crowd, she knew she would recognize him. The face she think everynight, the hands she wished will caresses her. This man couldn't be Sasuke.

"Why are you doing this to me…?" she can feel her tears threatened to fall. How cruel world, evben when she's sick like this, someone played her by becoming her breath; sasuke. Or how cruel her imagination, let her playing this twisted mind that Sasuke just carreses her gently like this. Sasuke watching those emerald orbs that watery with tears. How many times did he see her cry without a reason? One night in the first nights that he come back to Konoha, he spotted her crying in the park, hugging herself, sobbing in the middle of the night. Then again, he heard her soft cry when he's training in a very early morning in the forest. Eventhough whenever he see her with herself, she seems okay, she seems just fine. If even something bad happened, Narutow would be the first that tell him what's wrong. He began to wandering if he's the only one that listen to Sakura's silent cries?

He remember the last time, the time when he's going away from Konoha. The night when Sakura's the only one that chasing him, trying to stop him, when he severe all the ties. She's the only one that would cry for him. If in their genin days when he almost died for protect Naruto from Haku, Sakura crrying like she feel the pain he feel, like she understand, like she's not ready to lsoe him. Sasuke think she's annoying and too much. Too clingy, too weak, too using her emotion. But then again, she's the one that showing him those emotion he never think he has. Her smile, her laugh, how her eyes would be following his every movement with thas sparkles.

He didn't like Sakura cry. He didn't like being pitied. And overall, he just didn't like to see tears in her eyes. It made him heart feel something ugly, something he need to get rid off, something make him uncomfortable. He wanted to see her sparkle eyes, her wide smile, her soft laugh. He wanted to see with without pain. Because he understand a lot about pain.

In their last time, she didn't cry when he take her virginity, but then again, she even didn't face him like this. She didn't open her eyes as if she didn't want to believe her Sasuke-kun tear her apart, taking her precious one. As if she opened her eyes, there wouldn't be sasuke but the devilish version of him. The one that almost kill Naruto back then.

They're staring for quite a while, their mind collecting what's left between them. Could they, even be more than just two people that has long history between them, that almost impossible to be fixed?

Sasuke take first step, kiss her forehead gently. Their skin now hot, Sakura didn't feel cold anymore but numb. His touch, his kisses, burning her skin. She smiled in her tears. _God, if this is just a dream, please let me have this dream forever… _Sasuke pulled of, his cold eyes finding Sakura's teary smile in front of him. He surely didn't like what he saw. It feels like she's… she's hurter than him, than she feel the pain too, that somebody understand pain like him.

He hate that.

He swep her tears, licking it in both of her cheeks gently. The heat he's radiating make her almost lost consciousness. _Not now, please not now. I began to enjoy this. She scream to her inner. I love this sasuke, the one that I know will only in my dream. I know tomorrow I will find exactly different Sasuke, but please, just let me have this night._

"Sasuke…" his name in her lips sounds so erotic, Sasuke fight back a growl when his lower hardened agains her belly. "…make love to me." Sasuke didn't do much shock, but the way she ask him make him gone beyond control. Without hesitation, he start to kiss her fiercely. This night's gonna be quite a long night…


	5. Please read

**Author's note :**

**This story hasn't much reviews, so should I continue this story or not?**

**Dear readers, please tell me if this story is good enough to be continue or not!**


	6. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

… _**be with me?...**_

Sakura awoke in the morning with slightly pain in her head. Her eyes plopped open, watching the ceiling that she sure wasn't her house. She sit in her bed in excitement, was yesterday wasn't dreams?

"Sasuke?" she whispered in hope.

"You are awake, Sakura." Sakura turn her head to the veranda beside her, meeting dark-haired shinobi that unfortunately, wasn't sasuke.

"Sai..?" sai walking towards her, sitting beside her, smiling. "how come I…"

"I think you were catch fever last night and lost consciousness,"

"B-but, the last thing I remember…" was when Sasuke lay his lips to mine, kissing me, sucking my breath, in Uchiha manor.

"Yes, I think you were have delusional while in Gala, when I met you, you were talking nonsense so I brought you home cause I couldn't find Ino."

"O-oh… thanks Sai." So it is just a dream? Sakura feel her heart sunk into the depth of no limit.

"I will take your breakfast here," Sai wake up and going out the door. Sai walking his home to the kitchen, the smile that he plastered has fade. He recall last night;

_Sai is looking for Sakura when he got drink for her. But he couldn't find her anywhere so he just think maybe she got something then leave. After back home, he continuing his sketch that before was interrupt by Ino's demand. He doing his draw for almost 3 hours. Feeling enough, he going to his bedroom to take a quick sleep. Sai was never a person who can sleep mofre than just 3 hours a night._

_Just then, it's about 2 pm in the morning, someone knocked his door. Who will knocking door at time like this? If it's not a mission, the it's maybe enemy. Sai can feel a very strong cakhra outside his door. If it's enemy, the should've been masked their chakra. So this could be a sudden mission. Sai already get usual with a sudden mission in the morning. He opened his door and meet equally dark orbs that belong to no one but his ANBU captain. Sasuke was carried Sakura bridal style, the pink-haired medic nin seems sleeping so comfortable in his arms._

"_Hello, Uchiha." Sai smile at him._

"_Take her, let her sleep here tonight." He said, his eyes going down pointed at the girl that clutching his shirt in her little arm, like a little girl in her father's arms. Sai didn't have to ask what happened for he can smell the uchiha lingerie in her body. And he know exactly his ANBU captain didn't like being questioned. He just nodded and let him have his way to his house. Sasuke come in, carried Sakura to Sai's bedroom. He lay her carefully, almost too carefully for someone who ever betrayed Konoha, to the bed. He take the blanket to cover her, then Sai watching all the scene;_

_Sasuke kiss her forehead slightly._

_Sai almost can say he's smiling toward her, but he didn't dare to make such an assumption. Uchiha turn his body to facing him, his face as stoic as usual._

"_Tell her she was caught fever last night, you are the one that taking her home. Never mention my name." he said almost like ordering him to go on a mission that if he failed, he will kill him himself._

"_Why, if I could know, Uchiha?" Sai said, following Sasuke out of his house,_

"_You don't have to know. Thanks you, Sai." With that Sasuke was gone in the middle of the dark night._

Sai finished making a sandwitches and take a milk in the refrigerator. He brought them back to Sakura. Sakura's eyes following the meal in his hands, she actually didn't hungry but Sai just too nice to her she couldn't refuse it.

"Thankyou, Sai."

"You're welcome."

"Hm… have you seen Uchiha last night in Gala?" she said between eat. Sai shook his head. "I think I met him somewhere…" she said again, trying to understand. It's all to real to be a dream. Too vivid. But afterall, isn't she having a nightmares that Sasuke was finally come back to Konoha years ago? Every dreams about him is always too vivid for her, that she almost hard to differentiate which is real and which is not.

But yes lats night was too good to be true.

Sakura eats in silent, Sai's watching her.

"You know Sai, I got a very good dreams last night…" she said, hold back not to cry. "but it's just a dream." She said finally, turn her head to him, try to smile. When she turned her head to him that sit beside her, she see a white thing fallen from the sky in the windown behind him. "it's winter already?" she almost lost count in days.

"I think so," he follow her gaze too, watching the white snow falling more.

"Sai, thankyou so much, but I have to go now, I'm afraid I have to make some change in hospital as soon before snow make all my patient die," she said jokingly, handing him back the empty glass and plate. She wake from the bed and having the same sore feeling like the last time she had sex with sasuke. She ignore it, don't want to have her hopes flying too high. Maybe this is just another effect of her high fever last night. Fortunately Sakura forget her coat last time they're playing in his house, so she can walk back to hospital, find Ino, get the key, change clotehs and get ready to work.

"Thank for everything again, Sai." She smile, wave at him in his fence. Sai returned the smile, watching her until she's gone in the corner. Like all Konoha civilian, he wants to know how this Sasuke-Sakura story will end.

"Ino-pig!" Sakura running at her in the corridor. Actually they aren't permitted to running on corridor, but since she's doctor and doctors always in a hurry condition, she's get usual with that. The blonde haired medic turn her body, meeting her pink-haired friend.

"Yo forehead! How's last night? I could find you and Sai anywhere hehe,"

"Oh shut up, I got fever and the last thing I remember was when Sai gone to bring me drink. Who knows wha I do back then? I may punch or kick someone."

"Oh come on, you're sick not drunk."

"Well, have you bring my key? I should change my clothes and get shower."

"You didn't take shower? Where'd you sleep last night?"

"Sai's." Sakura was thinking Ino will burst into laugh and say 'you're with him now?' but she just watching her from top to toe. Ino finally take her key out of her pocket and handing it to her. "what's wrong Ino? You seems like I just tell you that Shikamaru kissing Naruto."

"No way in hell," she said while walking. "it just… you sure you're spending night with Sai?"

"Yes,"

"He didn't do anything to you?"

"Geez, you pervert, of course not!"

"Strange Sakura, Sasuke's scent is all over your body, _again. _Stronger than the last time you're back in Konoha from mission."

Sai is finishing painting one of his draw, ready to hang it in his living room when he se Sakura's running, to his fence. He walking out of his house, knowing she must know the truth now.

"What the hell, Sai?" she yelled in front of him. Sai didn't have to open the gate as she's breaking it, slaming the fence and walking angrily at him. "how could you lying to me? Tell me what happened last night!" she's gonna make him tell her the truth or else she didn't want to know what happen to him.

"You can come in and sit while I'm making a tea…"

"Enough Sai! I need the truth!" she said, the snow in her hair was making her hair look like sugar candy. Her face red from cold and hurt, her eyes fiery with passion to find the truth. Sai know when Sakura's like this, nothing can stop her from find what she wants. And she wants the truth now, badly. Sai sit in one couch in his living room while Sakura's standing demanly in front of him.

"I don't have what you need, Sakura. You could find the answer _within him._"

"Him? Who?"

"Uchiha Sasuke." She felt anger ranged in her body, boiling to the point she almost punch Sai to hokage's tower right in front of Naruto's desk.

"How could you not tell the truth to me!" she said, angry.

"Uchiha make me swear not to spill it." She punch him hard in the belly. Sai was taken aback, falling to the couch, coughing.

"That's for you lies. But thankyou." She said, smiling. Sakura's get rid the heels and take his sandals, running to Uchiha Manor. The snow crumpling in the street, everything went white. She recalled everything last night, every fragment of her vivid dreams that now has chance to become something real;

'_You're cold.' He said._

'_I wont feel cold… with you by my side.' Sasuke kissed her again, down to her neck, then take off her gown._

She's closing her eyes so tightly, she really want that not only become dream. She want his touch, his kiss, was true. She wants to know if there's a slightly chance for them to be together. Just one chance. Just one, last chance.

"Argh!" she just tripped, falling flat in her face. Fortunately nobody was there to laughing at her. She can feel the coldness of snow in her face. Sakira spit the snow, her coat was cut, blood coming down from the cut in her knees and elbow. She gritted her teeth, it can wait. The healing process can wait after she get the answer. Sakura continuing walking fastly for her knees make her can not run anymore. One by one the fragment keep stronger in her mind.

"_Sasuke…" his name in her lips sounds so erotic, Sasuke fight back a growl when his lower hardened agains her belly. "…make love to me." Without hesitation, he start to kiss her fiercely._

Sakura's arrived at Uchiha manor, regain her breath, she's open the gate, running to his house. She find him. She find him finally. Sakura hold her breath, Sasuke is in terrace of his house, learning some scroll in the floor. His head turn to find Sakura's panting, messy, and bloody in snow. The first thing in his mind was; _is he dreaming, in the middle of learning new jutsu?_

"Sasuke." She said, walking toward him, slowly. Her legs shaking because of the cut and snow. "last night…" she stop in front of him, then kneeled. Her eyes searching the answer in his black ones, but couldn't find it. Sasuke watching her intensenly. "…tell me the truth."

"Last night just another night, Sakura." He said while his eyes back to the scroll, his eyes just as cold as the snow, maybe even cold. Is this the same person that kiss her gently, touch her with his feathery touch?

"You were different… last night." He act as if he didn't hear her. "why, _sasuke…kun_?" _here come the suffix again_, he thought. He's not sure wheter he missed the suffix or it just make him annoying. Everything he felt about her was just as complicated as her emotion.

"I don't have time for things like this." He said, standing. Sakura's hand taking his hands.

"…don't go." He looking down the same girl that say those words for him years ago. "sasuke… I know you didn't like me…" I don't even know how to conquer those feeling, Sakura. I don't even know what those feeling like.

"Hn,"

"…why don't you give us a chance?"

"Chance of what?"

"You need someone to rebuild your clan, right?"

"…"

"I'll do." Her eyes fills with emotion. There's a pregnant silent between them. A very long silent that indicating how far the distance between them is.

"…but never ask me to love you, Sakura." He finally say his answer. Sakura nodded in disappointment. She know she's gonna regret this. But this is the last straw she can do, to make Sasuke learn how to love, is to never ask him to love her. Seeing her face cloudy, Sasuke cant her but pulled her closer to him, caught her lips in a chaste kiss. Sakura was shock, Sasuke was never kiss her in the middle of noon like this.

But she just enjoying this. Eventhough all the affection he give only to make her his baby machine… she shook that bitter thoughts.

"Sakura," he pulled out. His eyes look straight at her. "…move in with me."

Sakura sitting in the old couch in the wide living room. This is the place where she wishes to be when she's still a kid. She always admire the Uchiha manor, uchiha district, where not all people could going in and out so easily. When she was still a little girl, she always think Uchiha manor was a very special place in Konoha that not everyone can get permission to come. Only those who were selected can going in and out. But now, she sit in the living room she was dreamed of since kid, feels really different. The uchiha manor isn't as she thoughts. It now feel like death district, where the only houses that has people in it is only Sasuke's house.

Sakura's eyes eyeing the house, trying to make herself feel comfortable in this new place where she might spend the rest of her. Sasuke has given her another bedroom and she already put her clothes and belonging there. Sasuke left few hours ago to train, leaving her all alone in his big house. At the first, she cant find the answers why he wanted her to move in with him. He doesn't say a thing about last night, and she still craving for the answers. Why he bothered to bring her home last night than just leaving in Gala? Why, suddenly he agree of her offers while years ago he always refused even she said she willingly giving all her has for him?

Last, why he want her to move in him?

Sasuke is still the same puzzle man she know since they are kid. In their genin days, Sasuke always hard to read, his poker face almost the same in every situation. And Sakura learn to understand his silence. She know the poverb _"if you don't understand my silence then you don't deserve my words." _Years of loving hi, she learn that Sasuke may get angry if he didn't bothered to talk, to even look at someone. He's hurt when he need time alone. He's in good mood if he could get along when talking.

Sakura now walking to the kitchen. It's almost 7, and Sasuke usually buying something to eat around this time, so Sakura take initiative to cook for him. Unofficially she become uchiha mistress now, she chuckle herself. Sakura know how much Sasuke love tomatoes, so she decide to made him a tomatoes soup with fried fish. Here, all she can hear only the sound of her cooking. There's no people talking outside, kid running and laughing, not even a cat. It just feels… so empty here. And Sasuke life with this. Sakura put her hands on her chest, trying to feel the emptiness Sasuke feel. He wake up in the morning without 'good morning!' greet here, without the smell of breakfast, without the sound of bird. He going to sleep without talking to his friends, without having fun drinking or going to the mall, his life simply just for ANBU.

Sakura feels her tears slowly running down her cheek. How she wants to help him, to share his burden, to show his the bright side of this world. Since they are kid, she always admire the black haired uchiha boy who seems perfect at everything. But like Naruto, he has no friends. But Naruto is a cheerful one, he has Ieruka-sensei beside him, but he, Sasuke, has no one. She often find him sitting near the lake, watching the sun goes down. He simply just staring at nothing. She wants to greet him, to ask him if he wants to play, but she never has the guts. Swept her tears, Sakura strengthen herself, that she had devoted to help Sasuke out of this emptiness.

Sakura swirl the soup and put it in the bowl. She quickly cook the rice and the fish, making hot tea for him, then get everything ready in the dining room. She wait in patience, one hour. Sasuke hasn't come yet. She choose to read her medical book and learn something whiel waiting for him. Bringing her belonging to living room, right beside dining room, Sakura start her study time. But her mind couldn't focus on what she read. Slowly, she worry about him. Usually, Sasuke come home before 8 to eat and he never going out again. Sakura has spending her time watching his routine after she's back from hospital, she always make time to Uchiha manor, seeing if he's doing okay.

It's 11 pm and Sakura coulnd wait any longer. Even Naruto didn't come home after 10 pm, Hinata ever said to her. Naruto simply finished his task, or even if something cant finish below 10 pm, he will bring it home, and working there. Naruto also never train in the night. But then again, it's Sasuke. The most unpredictable kunoichi. Maybe he get ANBU assignment that make him even cant come home. Why would he come home anyway? He has nothing to say to her, for she's not his legally wife or what. Sakura feel the bitterness in her tongue. Maybe Sasuke just didn't want to go home because he know she will be there, waiting for him. Maybe just regretting his decision to ask her move with him.

Negative thoughts and too many cries has driven her falling asleep in the living room. Just one hour then, in the middle of the nights, Sasuke come honem finding Sakura falling asleep. She's asleep in her medical book so he assumpt she just too tired while studying. Today Sasuke just need more time. He's not get usual with someone else in his house. But then, it's his decision anyway. He want her to be with him, so he can watch her carefully, watch the woman that will bear him his children. He didn't want her to strain herself or walking down at some party with other guys. He want to keep her for himself, his only.

Sasuke sit beside her sleeping form, watching her serenade face. She looks tired, and her cheeks wet with… tears? Yet again, he find Sakura crying with no reason. He don't know for sure if he can stay at home long if she always cry like this. He move a strand of pink hair in her face. His touch made her wake.

"Sa..suke-kun?" She opened her heavy eyes, and it's widened. There's a worry look in her face that he just can not understand. Out of nowhere, she hug him tightly. Sasuke just doing what he think is right, resting his hand on her hip, stay still like that. Why is she acting like this? Is she having a nightmare or what? "I've been waiting for you," she said.

"I said I went train."

"I know, but usually you come home around 7 or 8…" so she's the shadow he often see around Uchiha manor? He know that someone is watching him but since the chakra feels weak, he didn't bothered to know who is it. Sakura pulled out, try to smile.

"I made you dinner..." In his time since massacre, he never find his food already serve in the table.

"Aa," he said, letting her take his hand to the dining room. Sasuke sit in the chair and began to eat, while sakura just sitting across him, watching with tired eyes. Sasuke know that she's been waiting for him that falling asleep. Why she didn't just go to sleep, why she still accompanying him eating here, instead of get some sleep?

"Sleep, Sakura." She shook her head.

"I've been waiting for you all night, I just met you, I don't want to meet nothing in the time I open my eyes." _Just like the night when you leave me. _Sasuke finishing his meal, waking up from his chair. Sakura bring the dirty plates to kitchen, washing them. Sasuke, eyeing her figure from behind, his mind wandering;

"Sakura," he's standing behind her.

"Yes?" Sakura didn't think of anything beside was all the dirty place and going to sleep. They have different rooms anyway.

"Why are you offering youself to me?" She let the plates in the sunk, washing her hands and turn back, facing him.

"Because I care about you."

"Hn," he find it still unsatisfy. Afterall, uchiha is insatiable. But he decided that's is enough for now, he let go of her and going to his bedroom. Sakura sighs, this is just the beginning, and she has to be strong for whatever will come.


End file.
